The Blog

A client normally has a vague idea in their head of what their requirements are and it’s my job to take it further and turn their ideas into websites.

I can safely say that I’ve never had a client come to me that knows 100% what they want and when the project ends we’ve stuck to the same criteria and it’s EXACTLY as planned. Things change throughout the duration of the project – it’s just something you have to accept. This may take extra man hours or extra hardware to accommodate the changes and I try to identify these changes as soon as possible to save any big shocks.

To reduce any risk and it’s also worth doing some research and preparation prior to starting the project – especially if you’re on a budget. You might not even know where to start so here’s a few tips to get you going:

1. The name. I picked the name Stomp before I even started making the website. That meant then I could register the domain name (http://www.stomptheweb.co.uk) and get all the hardware issues out of the way before the project starts. It also means there’s a space for me to develop your website on so you can keep track of the project.
2. A sitemap. I always ask clients to produce a sitemap so I can review it and then design the structure of the site. Do you want an about page? A contact page? A blog? Simply listing what you want in bullet point fashion and having a quick chat about it can save lots of time (and money) during development as it enables the developer (me) to have a clear direction of where I am and where I need to be in terms of the finished article.
3. Colour scheme. Having a basic colour scheme is important as although you can theoretically change it at any stage it’s good to get a feel for the site nice and early.
4. Preparation. If you have a logo, images or even content then providing this up front again gives the developer a sense of what the site is about. The more the developer/designer knows about the business/community that you’re building a site for then the more he or she can represent your business truly through the web. As websites are now the first point of contact for a lot of clients this is of ever increasing importance.
5. 3rd party services. Social media such as Twitter and Facebook play an important part on the web – especially for communities and businesses. There are of course hundreds and thousands of 3rd party services which can give you something for free and it’s important to know which ones they are and how you can exploit them.
6. One step at a time. My advice to you if you are creating a brand new website is to keep it simple at first. You don’t want to have a hundred pages of which you only update a few. It’s important that you include any necessary items and to identify things you may want in the future – rather than wanting it all right now. That way you can concentrate on the core of your website and if it’s successful then add the remaining features. Creating a website in two or three phases is no alien concept but it’s one that clients rarely use. It may mean down the line you might not want the functionality or at the very least you can stagger your payments – ideal for those on a budget.

It’s likely I’ll redirect my clients to this page in the future – but feel free to send your clients to this page as it might help them to save money and you, the developer – time.