Many new clients are surprised to find that we consider the “discovery” phase of a new website design to be amongst the most important. How can something that basically amounts to sitting around and talking about your business possibly have as much impact as comparing layouts and design ideas can?
The answer is easy: In business web design and online marketing, what you don’t know can’t just hurt you, it can actually ruin you.
To give you a sense of why, here are just some of the things we try to evaluate during a new project discovery process:
What kinds of customers you want to attract to your website. If you don’t know your best potential customers, which topics and ideas are most important to them, and what their buying motivations are like, then you’re always going to struggle to get them to take the next step. You can’t have good marketing until you actually know the market, so we spend a lot of time filling in the blanks when it comes to your prospects and clients.
Who your biggest competitors are, and what they do differently from you. A lot of business owners and executives can name off a few competitors, but most aren’t really sure why customers prefer one brand or company over another. When you know why someone would buy from you instead of taking their business elsewhere, though, you come up with key points that can be emphasized in your marketing.
What your average sales process looks like. Businesses can sell in person, over the phone, through the web, or even in retail stores. But, understanding which of these channels you want to most emphasize – and which ones are most profitable to you – is an important step in customizing the approach we take in designing your perfect business website.
Our Web Design Discovery Process
When it comes down to it, it’s very hard for us to give you the website you want – or the Internet marketing plan your company really needs – until we understand a great deal about your company, your market or industry, and your future plans. Discovery might not be exciting, but it is essential, so don’t work with a business web design partner who doesn’t emphasize it.