A good website takes time. AND a plan.

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!

January Signature Specials – Its a Signature Celebration! Plus BOGO Sale

Signature Specials Newsletter sampleHappy New Year! This month is our anniversary and to celebrate we have several special offers to help you get your business identity, branding, and all those time consuming tasks off your plate for a great start to 2010.

What’s included in this month’s Signature Specials?

Check out the full version of this newsletter online, complete with promotional codes and active links today!

Better yet, subscribe to our Signature Specials newsletter here.

December Signature Specials – Get Up to $300 in Gift Certificates Back!

Signature Specials Newsletter sampleHappy Holidays! If you’ve been holding back on getting your business branding up to par, this is a newsletter you won’t want to miss! Besides our fabulous savings and huge discounts, we’re giving away Restaurant.com gift certificate with every order – up to $300!

What’s included in this month’s Signature Specials?

Check out the full version of this newsletter online, complete with promotional codes and active links today!

Better yet, subscribe to our Signature Specials newsletter here.

Creative Spotlight: Digital Paralegal Services

Cathy Ribble of Digital Paralegal Services contacted me back in June to help her get her new virtual paralegal business branding started. With over 15 years of experience as a legal professional, she was ready to venture out on her own to help attorneys cut costs for themselves and their clients. She wanted to open her virtual doors with everything in place from her logo down to her website.

With The Worx package from Signature Worx, she found just what she needed: a custom designed logo, business card, stationery package, brochure, and a snazzy new website she can maintain herself.

If you’re in the legal profession and in need of support, I highly recommend contacting Cathy. She specializes in paralegal services, legal secretarial services, and total attorney support. She is extremely knowledgeable and was a great pleasure to work with.

Here’s a little peak at her new business image:

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If you’re starting a new business, or just need a professional boost to your current business or product brand, then be sure to check out this month’s Signature Specials. Our Fall Branding Stimulus Package is sure to get the ball rolling that won’t cost you an arm and a leg! Go ahead and subscribe to our Signature Specials newsletter so you don’t miss out on future offerings. We won’t inundate your inbox as we only send it out once a month, with an occasional extra here and there.

Creative Spotlight: Elizabeth Biberger

I’ve been working with Elizabeth on design projects for a little while now on an as needed basis. We’ve designed newspaper ad templates, an email header, and a flyer or two, but this last project was to create a brand new website for her.

As a real estate agent in Duncan, BC, Elizabeth needed a presence on the World Wide Web and contacted us once again to fulfill her needs. Armed with a six page document spelling out all the features she required along with the type of information that would be on each page, Elizabeth and her team came prepared!

One of her requirements was for her team to be able to input and update all the content and listings themselves. This of course was going to require her site be built on a content management system (CMS). After reviewing all her needs, we quickly recommended using WordPress because of its ease of use and its almost unlimited capabilities. We designed and developed Elizabeth’s site meeting all her specifications.

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Here are a few details about Elizabeth’s site:

After working with Elizabeth and her assistant, her site went live on March 26th. We’ve since made a few modifications to some of the plugins and pages to suit their needs as they’ve worked with it. All in all, she is very pleased with the finished product…and her team is able to add listings effortlessly!

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