You know you want to redesign your Web site; better yet, you think you may want to redesign your Web site. You’re not sure how much it would cost. You also don’t really consider yourself a “techy-type” person. So, how do you get started, and how do you choose the right company!?!

1. Ask yourself, why do I want to redesign my Web site?
This is a very important question. I usually start out a meeting asking “Why” first. The most common answer, “It looks old and isn’t a good representation of my company.” That’s a good reason to redesign! My one caveat would be though, it’s only a good reason if updating the look will help you sell more. See my opinions on when it’s the “right” decision to redesign. In short, make sure your Web site goals are on point and clear before investing your time and money.

2. Scope out the competition.
Start looking at other Web sites within your industry, companies you may be competing with and companies you feel are doing it right! Put a list together of things you like and don’t like.

3. Research web companies.
A great way to get a feel for the sophistication of a web company is to go to their Web site and snoop around. Most marketing and web companies view their Web site as a critical tool or portfolio piece, so it’s usually a good representation of the business and their capabilities. From your research, put together a list of top web companies you want to reach out to.

4. Create an RFP!
An outline of objectives or an RFP in my opinion is a critical step. And, you don’t have to be a web expert to put one together. It’s really just an organized document explaining what you want to do. The RFP would be used to guide the proposal for all of your prospective web companies so you can more easily compare apples to apples, AND ensure that what you want to accomplish is being conveyed in writing. The onus would then be placed on the web company to come back and ask good questions to help clarify a scope of work. This would also be their opportunity to make additional suggestions and to come up with creative ideas of accomplishing your goals. I will be writing another blog about how to construct a good RFP coming soon!

5. Have a budget in mind.
The concern that “I don’t know how much a web redesign costs” is a legitimate obstacle when faced with setting a budget. However, knowing how much you really have to spend on the project is different. You may have $10,000 for a site redesign, but what you want to accomplish is in the $60,000 range. If you decide to not disclose your budget, give the web company the opportunity to prioritize for you after all the money cards are laid out. Also, understand that the first proposal may have anything and everything you ever wanted included, but that based on your budget, you may not be able to afford the most glorious Web site in the universe at first. Plan on setting a follow-up meeting with the web company to review the proposal and costs. A lot of web companies can work within any budget, even around the $2,000 range these days, but you have to be prepared to prioritize and work in phases based on what you can afford.

6. Have a time line in mind.
Time line is sort of a parallel to budget; you might not know how long things take, but you know when you want to have it done. Make sure you have a general idea of when you would need the project completed by and put that in your RFP. Then, make sure you give the web company the opportunity to explain why certain objectives may take longer to accomplish and so forth. Turnaround is definitely something that should be more thoroughly discussed and outlined later on, but it gives the web company a better idea of expectations.

7. Plan on meeting face to face!
You may just call your top web companies, or you may opt to send out an open RFP requesting bids. Once you’ve narrowed down your top choices, set an appointment at their offices. I’m not saying that just because a company has a swanky office means they’re the best company for the job, but it’s not a bad idea to meet on their turf, so you can get a good insiders feel for who you will be doing business with. Or, if that is not possible, the meeting part is what’s really important. And, in my opinion, it’s really a 2 meeting process: the first to review the initial proposal more thoroughly and the 2nd to firm up the scope of work and budget.

8. Gauge follow-up.
I recommend calling to set an appointment, but you can also fill out the company’s contact us form on their Web site. The contact us test and the phone call are both good ways of gauging the responsive of your future web company. There’s nothing more frustrating than constant voice mail and no call back. Or, if you fill out a contact form and they don’t get back to you within 48 hours, that’s probably not a great sign either. If you go the contact us form route, make sure to explain what you’re looking for if an open field is available; it may help get you in touch with the right person. The reason gauging follow-up is so critical? Web sites are typically longer projects that should include a lot of talking and communication. My opinion? Find a web company that understands the importance of being available and responsive. You don’t want to pull your hair out not knowing what’s going on and not feeling like your project is important. Make sure communication is a priority.

9. Industry-specific work.
When you meet with a prospective web company, do ask what industries they have created Web sites for. Ninety percent of web companies, with some direction, can design and launch a successful Web site regardless of their past project work. However, there is a learning curve involved when implementing a Web site in an industry they may never have design for. So, experience in your specific industry shouldn’t be the end all be all, but it is an important factor to consider, especially when working on short turnaround times.

10. What’s included?
My final recommendation is to ask a lot of questions about what is included in the price. Web sites in general are actually very difficult to estimate out. The project manager you are working with has to make sure the job stays within the scope that was approved. It’s easy to get frustrated if both parties do not agree on what is included in the approved quotation. And, it’s not a bad idea to make sure that the scope is outlined in writing with the quote for both parties to reference. When client and web company are on the same page, it can be smooth sailing!

Here’s Tip #1:

Make it personal!
Use your existing database and email marketing to ask your current or existing customers for feedback on your products and services. Use that data then to enhance or change your product line. It’s a great way to create dialog and show your customers that you’re listening to them. This will foster loyalty and better your chances of building referrals.

Stay tuned for more tips, or send me some questions!