WEB DESIGN Packages
Web Design Onboarding FAQ
Everything you’ll need to know as we design your new website.
WELCOME!
We are so eager to get started on your project.
The wait is over! We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and turn your ideas into a website that you will love!
- Collaboration is key. We believe the best websites are built through teamwork. Your active participation, openness to new ideas, and honest feedback will shape a design that truly reflects your vision.
- Goal-focused approach. We’ll work together to create a website that meets your objectives and resonates with your audience. Flexibility is important, but staying focused on your goals will ensure success.
- Your feedback matters. Your input is invaluable. Share your thoughts throughout the process so we can refine and adjust the design to perfectly suit your needs.
Feel free to explore the rest of this page for answers to common questions about your website design project. Bookmark this page for future reference and share it with your team.
Cheers to creating and launching your new and improved website!
Communication, INvolvement, and Timelines
Your Web Designer will be your primary contact and lead the project from start to finish. You can contact them directly by phone or email with any questions not covered in this website design FAQ, and with any input you may have throughout the design process.
If needed, you can also contact our friendly support staff by calling our office at 1-888-262-6687.
Our preferred communication method is email so that both you and your designer have a record of feedback, revision requests and design details that are easy to refer back to. We are always available for a quick phone chat or a scheduled Zoom or conference call.
We primarily use Dropbox for transferring files. If you do not use Dropbox you can use We Transfer https://wetransfer.com/ which currently allows up to 2Gb of files to be sent instantly without registration or an account. We are open to using another file sharing service of your preference if needed.
The speed at which we can launch you website is affected by the actual number of hours to design, populate and test the website as well as:
- Number and complexity of feedback and revisions
- How fast you can provide content and images
- How fast you provide approval
- Project add-ons (website features and functionality not in the original scope of work)
Don’t worry, writing content can be hard even for the most trained writer. If you find yourself at a loss for words and unable to provide content you initially thought you could please let us know. We have talented writers on staff who can help create the content you need to fill your pages and get your website launched.
We know that you are busy with your own responsibilities which is why we aim to keep you as involved as you want to be. Some of our clients leave all of the work to us and occasionally check in while other clients are in regular correspondence and very involved in the process. It’s up to you.
Regardless of where you’re at, there are key stages where we need your involvement:
- Pre-Launch – provide final feedback and approval prior to the new website going live.
- Start of Project – complete our online Web Design Questionnaire and have a Kickoff Call with your designer.
- Initial Design Concept – provide feedback, revision requests, and approve the concept.
- Website Build – provide content, images and other resources requested by Designer to complete the website build.
Feedback and Collaboration
At the start of the project we use wireframes, visual concepts and simple pages to plan for the website design. Once your website is under development and design elements are propagated across pages it can be more time consuming and costly to make changes. If you are unsure of a design element early on, ask your designer how much work it may take to change it later on if you change your mind. It never hurts to ask as we want you to be completely happy with the finished website.
No, we do not plan to copy these websites exactly. It is often much easier for our clients to show us what they like rather than try to explain the look and feel they want. Words such as “wow factor” or “pop” or “modern” can mean different things to different people. You can share websites in your same industry or other industries to help us understand the aesthetic, appeal, mood, and personality you like.
Take your time in reviewing the concepts we send and keep a list of your feedback to send back to your designer at one time. We recommend you take up to a week to review the website and think it over. You may be wanting to launch the website quickly but we don’t want to rush at the expense of you missing important feedback.
It is helpful for you to be as detailed as possible. Instead of “it’s too bland” try to provide specific reasons why you find it too bland, such as the images, font, colors, or layout.
If you are unsure about a design element ask! There may be a specific reason why your designer chose to do it that way.
We’re professionals and don’t take critical feedback personally. The most important thing to us is to get your website right. For many clients it can be hard to provide specific feedback other than It’s not quite right or I don’t like it.
Here are some key areas you can look at:
- Font – Is it readable? Large enough? Reflect your brand?
- Images – Are images used well? Do you have enough images ready to fill the layout of the website?
- Color Scheme – Does it reflect your brand? Is there enough contrast? Is it easy on the eyes?
- Page Layout – Is it easy to scan? Are the most important elements near the top of the page?
- White Space – Is the page easy to look at?
- Navigation – Is it easy to find the most important pages?
- Call to Actions – Are they well placed? Are they appropriate?
- Brand – Does the overall website reflect your brand? Does it give a professional first impression? Is it reflective of your industry expectations?
In our experience too many cooks in the kitchen is a real problem. As more people become involved in the design process it can become more complicated with competing ideas and feedback. We suggest picking a few trusted others familiar with your brand to give feedback at critical points along the way.
Website Launch and beyond
We celebrate! It can take a lot of work to get a new website ready to launch. Once your website goes live we continue our work and post-launch testing for the first week or two. Once this testing is completed you can announce the launch of your new website to drive traffic.
We will also provide you with training resources on how to make your own updates to the website in the future.
If you opt in, we will begin our Website Maintenance Plan to keep your website running like new in the many months ahead.
Your old website remains live until your new website design is approved and ready to launch. At this time we flip the switch and your new website will show instead of your old website. We do a full backup of your original website and can provide you with a copy to keep on file in case you need to access it in the future.
All of our websites are “search engine friendly” which means that we integrate core SEO components during the website development stage. This includes but is not limited to the ability to add Meta Data to pages, page redirects, and image optimization features. Once the website launches we offer Custom or Local SEO Plans to research and integrate keywords, optimize your content, conduct link outreach, and more.
We have plenty of options such as Custom SEO, Local SEO, Social Media, Paid Search and Content Development. Let’s talk about what would be most suitable and effective at bringing traffic to your brand new website and building your online brand. Please contact Keiran ([email protected] or 1-877-567-1341) to discuss the best option(s) for you.
Just email your assigned Web Developer when you need a change. Typically they can complete these updates within 2 business days or else provide you with a time estimate of when it will be completed if the requested work is more extensive.
If you do not have a Maintenance Plan but need work done on your website once it launches, please call our office at 1-877-567-1341 to discuss the best options to completing the work as soon as possible.
We track our work in 15 minute increments and will let you know if you have used all the time within your monthly plan. You can decide to either postpone the updates until the next month or approve the updates to be completed right away, at a reduced additional hourly maintenance rate. Any unused time in a month can be forwarded to the next month.
Make sure you have installed an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate on your website.Make sure you use secure passwords that include uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, numbers are 16+ characters long. Passwords should be unique to each user and never used twice.Watch out for phishing emails and other scams sent out by hackers.Make sure regular backups of the website are on file in case of a worst case scenario.Ensure you have purchased a Website Security Plan so that our team can keep you website theme and plugins up to date and hard to crack.
- Make sure you have installed an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate on your website.
- Make sure you use secure passwords that include uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, numbers are 16+ characters long.
- Passwords should be unique to each user and never used twice.
- Watch out for phishing emails and other scams sent out by hackers.
- Make sure regular backups of the website are on file in case of a worst case scenario.
- Ensure you have purchased a Website Security Plan so that our team can keep you website theme and plugins up to date and hard to crack.
(If you’ve purchased a monthly security plan we’ve got you covered on all of these and more!)
