Starting

If I have completed a project plan or if I have registered my company with the Chamber of Commerce and have the money available a website can be built.  A website is often bound to a maximum budget, and sometimes part of the budget needs to be used for marketing and that new laptop. Then the question arises how can I outsource my website as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible?

Next Step

This can be done by spending time on the preparation. First write down on paper what the goal is of the website and what should be on it. Then only look for a web builder that fits the budget and can meet the minimum requirements set for the website. Do not hesitate to talk to about 5. Feel free to ask for a quote from 3 or more. Think about it for a few days, ask more questions, and then choose the one that meets the requirements for the website the best.

Planning The Website

The preliminary work is done, but then! Make sure that it is clearly stated on paper at the beginning so that the preconditions for building the website are as good as boarded up. In practice it will turn out that this is never the case, but then expose this in time, so that the website can be adapted, and miscommunication is avoided and/or extra costs are avoided.

A Few Tips

These tips can help building the perfect website:

• Be informed about the CMS that will be used or rather Google it. Ask to see some examples of websites built by the potential web builder. This already gives a good idea of ​​whether I can maintain the website myself or have to outsource it

• Think of a domain name in advance and register it. If  hosting is not new, buy the hosting self. It is cheaper then leaving it to the website builder

• Use examples from other websites to give an idea of ​​what the website should be like. Be clear in which part of that sample website appeals. Think about the possibilities within the budget. The CMS choosen should also fit the budget

• Discuss the security of the CMS before signing the quote. Keep in mind that everything is hackable these days

• Make sure that photos, images, PDFs, and other files that are going to be on the website are ready in advance and are delivered in the correct format to the builder. Talk in advance to the web builder about what format they can work with

• Think about the use of color on the website. When the first version is ready and there is text, etc on the website, don't be afraid to adjust the shade a bit. There is a world of difference between thinking and seeing

• The font is always an interesting one. Preferable choose one font for the website, communication, logo, and promotional material, but what is beautiful on a website is not always beautiful on promotional material or vice versa 

• Consider readability. Discuss it and adjust it as soon as in doubt and preferably not until when the whole website is ready 

• Don't frustrate the web builder and the webteam by trying out 30 fonts, stick to 5 types max

• Think in advance which social media suits. Which to use in the communication with fans, customers, competitors, and followers. What's ordinary in the industry? What do I think is a good communication channel when it comes to social media? Is my target audience there?

• Which other communication channels, gadgets do I want to link to my website? Do they really need pairing? Does it fit in the budget? Can I also operate the website and social media myself afterwards or do I have to hire someone to do it?

• Preferably hire someone who specializes in communication or in searching the web for SEO. This benefits the ranking and snippet in Google and other search engines. SEO can increase sales

• Register/sign up with Google Analytics and webmaster. With Google Analytics insight is gained into how often the website is visited and which parts of the website they visit. The default dashboard of Google Analytics is sufficient in the beginning. Diving into it myself or hiring a specialist in analysis is useful later

• Going beyond a website. For example, a webshop, remember that there is a budget to make it function properly, to comply with privacy legislation for customers and security of payment systems that needs to be in the webshop

• Remember having a website means maintaining it. Maintaining it also costs time and money. Whether it's money that goes to the web builder, who is hired to do maintenance or my own hours. Remember that it will take more time in the beginning than later. In the beginning  there are lots of Adjustment  after conversations with others. What seemed so beautiful on paper is often just not what is wanted in practice

• Always ask the web builder for 3 rounds of customization and after care. Use the time between these rounds to think about what needs to be changed. Don't frustrate the web builder, the webteam or costumers with what isn't there yet, but look at the things that are ready and need input. Collect this input and feel free to sleep over it. Turn this input into a clear document that can be communicated with the web builder. This helps making the most of the budget and time that the company/project has and the web builder has.