It’s true what they say, guys, failing to plan really is planning to fail…and that includes the development of your website.
I can’t tell you how many people have come to me over the years asking for a website (yesterday) without having any idea of what they want.
It usually goes something like this:
Client: I need a website, I want to launch this month and I hope you can help because you’re the greatest website designer in the entire universe.
Me: That’s a tight deadline but flattery will get you everywhere, so I might be able to help. I have a website analysis form I’ll need you to fill out first. Have you given some thought to what you want in a website? Do you want to maintain it yourself or will someone else be maintaining it for you? Will it be WordPress or a static site?
Silence. Crickets chirping. Tumbleweeds.
Client: Well, I just want a basic 5 page website with a contact form.
Me: OH, why didn’t you say so. If that’s all you want, I’ll have something to you next week.
No, not really. Could you sense the sarcasm there?
In all seriousness, most people have absolutely no idea how much thought goes into building a website. Planning is SO critical in ensuring a successful outcome and it’s almost a guarantee that you end up with a website you love (unless you choose Signature Worx which is a 100% guarantee that you end up with a website you love 
).
A well-planned site will suit your needs and grow with you as you grow.
I’ll be thrilled to help you with your website but I’ll be super thrilled if you know something other than you just need a website.
It will be even better if you know what you would like your navigation will look like, what pages you need, and how you want people to take action. You get bonus points if you have your content all ready and if you know your keywords. Of course if you’re one of those people who would rather have a root canal because it takes you 16 hours to write a paragraph and it still doesn’t sound perfect, our fabulous copywriter has you covered
Sounds like work on your end, I know. But here’s a big fat WARNING. If you hire a website designer and they do not take you through some sort of planning process, run as fast as your little legs can carry you in the opposite direction. Know why? Because any professional website designer will require some sort of analysis and planning before they get started and if you aren’t asked any questions about what you’re looking for, you probably won’t get what you want. Makes sense, right?
Now don’t worry. When you get in touch with me for your website needs, I’m NOT going to intimidate the heck out of you. I don’t expect you to know as much about building websites as I do, that’s not your job. If you don’t understand CMS, WordPress or HTML, I’ll explain as much (or as little) as you want.
The most important takeaway for you here is that there is a lot of work that goes into planning a website and if you go to your designer the day before you want your site launched, without having done any preliminary legwork, you will be out of luck. Or you’ll get a crappy website that looks like a dog’s breakfast. And that, guys, is a guarantee!
