Website Design, Branding and Copywriting

Throughout my business, clients have always asked me about how to get a great website. The simple answer is that with the advent of iWeb and WordPress, anyone can have a great website with very little cost. If you have the time to invest in learning the tools, you can create a simple website in very little time. But what happens when you don’t have the time but your business demands a serious web presence? Start with the end in mind. Keep your vision on the final result you are looking for.

This may raise more questions than answers. But I can tell you about my process and about the hints and tips you can look out for on your way. For my website, I was in a tough position. I wanted a great site, but I wanted to be heavily involved so that it would “look” like my company.

• Tools

The first thing I did was learn about the tools website designers use. I am referring to things like “wordpress”, “drupal”, “CSS”, “HTML” and “Web 2.0” and the like. I knew that I wanted a site that I could manage the content. For me that meant being able to write a blog post like this without having to call someone to “put it up” for me. After talking with lots of people and doing a lot of research, I knew that WordPress was the way to go. But now what?

Logo

If you have a logo that you are happy with, start with the designer who did it. Ask whether they can design a wordpress theme for you. In my case, the designer of my original logo could not do the newer things like WordPress and custom headers. I knew I needed to start fresh. That was a big shocker and a wakeup call. The thought of trying to convey my vision and have it result in a new logo/brand scared me! Who could possibly understand the vision of ÜberGeekGirl and the mission of my company? Ideally you can settle on one firm who has logo, web and branding talent on staff so you get a unified result. I was really blessed to discover Alphabet Arm Design www.alphabetarm.com  – Aaron Belyea’s team of designers including Ira F. Cummings of IFC Design www.iracummings.com delivered everything I needed.

Design

Start looking at websites. Look at hundreds of websites and take note of what you like and why you like it. You DO not need to know how they made it look that way, just take lots of notes. When you talk with designers, they are going to begin with asking you what things you like. This does not necessarily mean that your site will look just like that the sites you took notes on. In fact, a great designer will never deliver a cookie cutter site.

Feedback

Work with your design firm regularly and do not be afraid to ask for what you want. Do not end up with a website you are unhappy with. A good firm will be clear about the process from day one and will GUIDE you!

Content

As your site nears completion from design perspective, you WILL be asked for content. What is content? All the words on each page. I recommend starting with some general ideas about what you want the page to say. Then go out and find a copywriter who can interpret your non-sensical babbling and make it intelligible. I’d like to thank Keith Leong for his fine work crafting the words on my site. http://copywriterkeith.wordpress.com/about/

Your role

Be a good client. Admit that you are not a designer nor a copywriter. Allow your experts to do their job. Your job is to select the right team at the beginning. Pay them quickly, send them coffee or lunch. Make it a great relationship because you will need their services in the future!