It's time to get a website. Great!
In this article you will find out what's involved in a website & graphic design project so that you are better informed about the process. Note that I mostly talk about websites in this article but a lot of the things I talk about apply to Knockout Designs' other services as well.
Knockout Designs ain't no sucker!
Before I go on to talk about a regular website design process, let me first explain to you how Knockout Designs differs from other web "design" places.
Knockout Designs is all about quality. Quality website design. Websites that actually work for businesses. Websites that appear prominently in Google search results. Websites that convert visits into sales.
This is no "cheap $400 websites" type of company. If that's what you're after, just Google "cheap websites" and you will find plenty of results. Then if you find that this doesn't work for you, give me a call and I'll be happy to make you a proper website.
Prerequisites
The following are the key factors that need to be in place before commencing on a website design project.
Purpose
In order to make a good website for you, I need to know why you need a new website (or a website re-design). So ask yourself, exactly why do you need a website? What would you like to achieve with it?
Is it to sell a product, promote yourself on the Web, connect with your customers through social networking or something else altogether.
It's ok if you are not exactly sure because you are entering unfamiliar ground. After all that's what I'm here for: To guide the project along the right path, so that you end up with a quality product.
Existing Branding
Do you have quality branding in place? If the answer is no, or if your current logo and identity design is dated then I highly recommend that this is taken care of before the website design. Knockout Designs offers branding & logo design services by the way.
Even without a proper logo or branding in place, it is still possible to make the website. The end result will just not be as good. I understand that you have a limited budget but without a proper foundation to build upon, your web presence will be poor. In other words Garbage in, Garbage Out...
A Budget
Now this one is obvious but you may be asking yourself what price range am I looking at? This one is really difficult to answer and one of the reasons why I don't post prices on this website.
Design projects can vary greatly, but here is a rough hint:
- For a logo design or simple one-page website design you would be looking at a 3-digit figure.
- For a complete branding overhaul including logo design, creation of style guide, business card design, CMS website design etc. you would be looking at a 4-digit figure.
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For consultancy work, an agreed upon hourly rate would be negotiated.
The best way to find out is by getting in touch with me and requesting a quote.
The Website Design Process
Say Hi
Tell me what you are after. We can then have a chat about the project and I will come back with a quote.
Information Gathering
Before I start the design process I will need your logo and any other brand assets (see requirements above). Additionally I will need any text and images that you want to include on your website.
Concept Design
Time to go ahead and create the concept design. Think of this as a prototype or preview of what your website will look like. This is a really useful tool since it clarifies that we are on the same page before actual development work commences.
Website Development
Sit back and relax while I do all the work. When the website is ready, I will put it up on a test server and send you a link so you can check it out. You will be able to see and use the website. Kind of like a test drive really.
Finished Project
The website is deployed live on the Internet. I will show you how you can login to your website to make changes or add new content. It's easy and I am always a phone call away if you need me.
Summary
Your website should reflect your business. Your customers should have a similar experience when they visit your website or if they walk in to your store or deal with you directly.
The Web is a brand new opportunity for a lot of businesses. There is more competition than ever. At the same time there has never been a time where you can reach out to so many customers as easily as today.
These days a knockout web presence can mean the difference between success and failure. So it's important to get someone who can see the big picture and deliver the right solution for your business.
Feel free to contact me for a quote, or to answer some of your questions.
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