Every website owner worries about the development process but if that client has been badly treated / ripped off by another company prior to meeting you then there is a lot of work to reassure them that not all website companies are so unscrupulous, as you can see my this example exchange when the client worries about SEO and other really ‘unrelated’ or non-core things to do with her website.
[Website Client] It would help me enormously to have an automated system like Microsoft Dynamics NAV that could answer quotes for me if possible, and to store and collate clients data mainly.
[Delicious Webdesign] I think Microsoft Dynamics NAV is a management application that is totally divorced from your website, we do however have potential / skills / ability to integrate a variety of tools into your website at a later date including invoicing / project management / crm / support tickets / ecommerce / portal / cms.
[Website Client]Is it possible to add to the website (if I go ahead with you), something that will automatically say ‘thanks, this is an automated reply to let you know your email has been received. We will get in touch as soon as possible’? If so how much will this cost extra to put in place…..or would you suggest leaving this until if and when I have an automated system put in?
[Delicious Webdesign] Yes This is called auto-responders and is added to your control panel email system. We will do it for free and you can tell us to turn on / off the automated reply when you see fit.
[Website Client] Someone once told me it is better not to incorporate these systems in to a website but better to run side by side separately? What do you think?
[Delicious Webdesign] The photography e-commerce system has a comprehensive order / customer management system in place and think you are over complicating the process by thinking about implementing other systems to manage enquiries for your current business. A combination of standard Microsoft Office products are nearly always enough for most businesses to manage their basic functions.
[Website Client] I think once you have answered these questions I think you will have answered all my querys, thank you, then it’s onto a quote and to see if we need to make it viable. One last thing I would like to know how long will full build take , and until can be made live?
[Delicious Webdesign] Depends on what we agree on / when we put your project document together / when you give us anything required for the build (text / guidance / photos) / when you pay the deposit and when you ‘need’ it to be live but I estimate once we start it will be 2 weeks before you get a draft website to review then another 2-3 weeks to finalise the build then another week to put it live. During that time we setup your emails / give you the ecommerce admin details and instructions how to operate it. Obviously some of the technical website building and SEO can be done after the website is put live.
[Website Client] Also could the website be half built before we made live? And that the build could continue when live…this will enable me to do away with the current website/company and change to your set up and hosting.
[Delicious Webdesign] Traditionally / Normally what happens is that we transfer the site first (required as we need to build the code onto the site once it has databases configured on the server). Once your existing site is transferred we use a directory on your server for you to view us building your website, so that only yourself and ourselves, can see the new website. You can initiate the transfer of your website almost immediately, it will take about 1 week (maximum) to complete and we do all the work for this.
[Website Client] Could I change to your hosting now with my current website …if I wanted too? I thought I was stuck with them until I changed websites?
[Delicious Webdesign] Yes you certainly can and I would certainly advise it.
[Website Client] You said in our meeting that you can update the website when needed, I prefer for you to do this for me anyway, if there is no cost involved! I definitely will need to move photos in and out of the gallery as and when I take better ones to replace the not so good ones. If the software you use has no constraints then of course you will be able to amend and change the design for me as my website involves/grows….. so I do not need to be able to do this. Does this mean though there still will be an easy content management software in place for me to be able to make small amendments on a daily or so basis as and when or not?
[Delicious Webdesign] Changes like adding new photos within 3 months of build are included, changes after that are charged at our standard website maintenance rate of (currently £30 per hour) really recommend you get all your websites pages / photos organised during the initial build but changes going forward are welcome and we encourage you to add to your website to keep it current (new testimonials / photos / services etc). We prefer to update sites for clients to guarantee its perfectly done, if you have pages that you update regularly (prices etc) then we can easily make this page updatable by yourself.
[Website Client] This sounds fantastic that you will get a graphic designer to work with us to produce draft website pages before you build them but at what extra cost? I gather there will be an extra cost? What would be the alternative if not doing this way…just the regular way? Surely you will not need a designer on every page… maybe one or two the others I could work with you as you would normally with any one.
[Delicious Webdesign] Your very specific requests led me to think that this is the best way forward, we can get the graphic designer to work with you to produce your website ‘framework’ and the horizontal graphical menu that you require.
[Website Client] I have enclosed the links/web addresses to how the web front page and functions should look , so is a designer really necessary as these show exactly as the pages should look…I do not want to waste money on a service that maybe I cannot afford or do not really need. Could we say start as normal and see how we get on and if need be bring in the designer if we get stuck at any point or if things not going according to plan. The problem I had with the last web builders is that I showed them what I wanted but they did not follow instruction and this meant that amendments had to be made… no amendments ever had to be made because I changed my mind at any stage of the build, this I never did… just so that you know.
[Delicious Webdesign] I think we can follow your build instructions but its now common to produce a graphic for you to approve before we ‘build’ or code it into your website and make it ‘work’.
[Website Client] When you talked about my old website being in Flash, am not sure I understand what flash is actually. Forget my old website it is a goner! I am starting from fresh this time, What I would like is for the navigation buttons/tabs on the home page to light up when clicked on. I believe in your company and what you say about Flash, as I said I don’t really know what flash is or what it does…I thought it was used to light up things. I would like my nav tab buttons to light up when clicked on. I do not know if this is called flash or something else, I will be guided by you.
[Delicious Webdesign] Adobe Flash is a specialised technology that is now ‘not in vogue’ and not supported on some platforms so your website doesn’t function currently on any Ipad / Iphone. we can make your buttons highlight / light up no problem. These are details that we can easily sort for you, its really rare that someone considers their navigation button ‘mouseover’ behaviour but thats all good with us 🙂
[Website Client] Regarding the SEO, you tell me that you build this ‘magic’ into the site and that it should be thought of when you build the site. I agree but the problem is the general public go to Google and see the first website on Google (this is normally me and click on it) if the highly ranked SEO websites only start at no 4, then this means that even though I was number 4 I would have missed the passing trade from the public who have only bothered to get quotes from position numbers 1-3 on Google. If you can build a website that is made with LOVE and polished as you say then it will be ready for me to start doing SEO when I am in a position to be able to not need the passing trade. I don’t know if I have explained myself clearly and that you will understand?
[Delicious Webdesign] The facts are that 70% of people searching for something click on the first three ‘natural’ results in Google, so most people know the first three (when they are there) are sponsored adverts, I have seen people always clicking on the first sponsored results but that is rare behaviour, the perfect website has a sponsored result and a high natural result as well as a local / map result. We will work towards that for you
[Website Client] Would I be able to add pages and navigation tabs, could I do this in the easy content management?
[Delicious Webdesign]Not many people want the facility to add / remove navigation tabs and pages and due to the fact it doesnt happen that often we always do it for clients as it takes us only a little time and there are no mistakes / problems, adding new pages needs to be done correctly and properly as any mistake may harm your website / business.
[Website Client] I think I have said it all now….hurrah! I notice on your web site that you visit clients in the initial stages …do you think we need a meet?
[Delicious Webdesign] Yes would be great to meet if we have anything to finalise but just as happy if we agree to do your project to do everything via email / phone
In Summary this is what you want:
1 Bespoke Designed Business Brochure Website (Premium Plus Website)
Booking form / Multiple Galleries / 10 – 12 pages / 1 months SEO
2 Photography Ecommerce system
Bespoke system allowing full control of photo galleries / portfolios / prices / postage / customers / orders / customer login and management
3 Transfer of Domain
2 years Hosting / Email setup
4 Webcopy
Recommend 10-12 pages (3500 words)
5 Stock Images
Recommend budget of £50
The photography Ecommerce system will be customised and built into the website allowing full ownership of the ‘shop’
Once you agree the above I can give you an initial estimate.
