Our 8-step program for rehabilitating wayward websites
We understand that your website isn't always your primary focus - and at times not even on your radar. That's okay. But now that the Internet is a given, you need a website that works for you, not one that takes time away from achieving your goals... or worse yet, one that doesn't do justice to your organization's good work.
If your website is more than a year or two old, chances are that issues have started to surface - the site is difficult to update, it doesn't generate new business for you, it doesn't engage prospective customers. Maybe it even it has out-of-date information that frustrates both you and your prospective customers. It happens.
Even the most beautifully crafted website will become a thorn in your side over time if it isn't quick and easy for you and your staff to keep it up to date and have it grow with you. Your organization isn't a fixed, static thing - and your website shouldn't be either.
We understand that your company, and your website, is unique but your PROBLEMS aren't - that's a a good thing actually - we've seen the issues you're dealing with time and time again, so we know how to fix them. This is how we get your website back on track so it contributes to your bottom line... and stays on track.
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Here is a more detailed look at our 8-step program:
Needs Analysis
One of the biggest challenges of a website relaunch is deciding what is a 'must-have' feature, what is a 'nice-touch' and what is 'someday-maybe' feature. So many things "could" be done. Try to do everything and there goes the budget and timeline. Leave out the nice touches and your site lacks impact. We'll listen to you, research the marketplace and make specific recommendations based on your desires, objectives, resources, budget and timeline. We focus on the must-haves and ensure the nice-touches get implented but we also stay aware of the someday-maybe features to ensure they can be integrated when the time is right.
Appropriate Design
Everyone deserves a beautiful website. But not every organization needs to allocate the majority of their online budget to the look-and-feel of their site. If an established company with a strong brand identity has a website design that doesn't compliment and enhance its brand, the website is a failure no matter how functional it is. A non-profit probably wants the issues it advocates for to take prominence over a luxurious design. A new start-up may benefit by focusing on website functionality now and plan to fully address the design of the site down the road when it addresses other design-related elements of the fledgling business. We'll work with you to determine a design approach that meets your needs.
Solid Code and Functionality
Even the most beautifully crafted website will become a thorn in your side over time if it doesn't work for you. Online shopping carts, email newsletters, event calendars, blogs, forums, embedded video (the list goes on) are all tools to help achieve your goals. We take the view that it's better to have an appropriate, well-made tool than to have the largest tool-chest. For most modern websites, the main tool is a Content Management System. Our CMS of choice is the award-winning Drupal CMS. Drupal makes it quick and easy for you and your staff to keep your site functional and up to date. And it has the best add-on tools so your website can grow with you. Your organization isn't a fixed, static thing - and your website shouldn't be either.
Content Migration
Most websites these days have been around for a while and their content has been added in fits and spurts - often by numerous people at different times. It's a fact of web-life but it inevitably leads to inconsistencies, duplication, broken links and stale content, lowering the professionalism and authority of your organization in visitors' eyes. But lots of that content is as valuable today as it was when it was first created. We will scrub, polish your existing site's content and organize it so it fits into your new site.
At the same time, you probably also have lots of excellent content available that for one reason or another has never made it on to your website. We can help gather, organize, edit and incorporate these items to ensure your new site has all the information visitors may be looking for.
Managed Hosting
Not every organization has dedicated IT staff with the time to install, configure, maintain and update your own hosted website. We do though. What's more, we've got it down to a science - so it's a cost-effective solution for many small and mid-sized organizations. The solutions that we utilize allow your website to be easily updated by authorized staff from any computer with an Internet connection and standard Web Browser.
SEO Services
What is a website without visitors? A waste of time, effort and money! We don't just build websites, we make sure that search engines such as Google and Yahoo bring people to your site. Not every organization needs search engine traffic to be a success but the majority do. If a website design company can't tell you specifically how they address Search Engine Optimization in their design and development, walk away. (Want to know the specifics of what we do? please ask.) What's more, we include SEO best practices in our content updating training.
Staff Training
All our web solutions are easy to edit and update. We can train you and/or your staff to take control of the content of your website - with no programming or coding required. All that's needed is an Internet connection and a Web Browser. If you can send an email or create a Microsoft Word document, you can take charge of your website's content. And if you choose to have us do it, you'll know that it will be done quickly and cost-effectively.
Launch... and Beyond!
We won't abandon you once we've launched your site. Two months later, if you're part way through creating an online newsletter and can't remember how to incorporate those email addresses you picked up at the last conference, just give us a call and we'll walk you though it. Having difficulty configuring an interactive poll for the first time? Email us and we'll log in and set it up for you. You get the idea. And if we're hosting your website, we'll make sure that all the programs related to you site stay up-to-date. You don't have to worry about keeping on top of security patches, incremental version upgrades, configuration issues. We're here for you.
Pricing Information
Pricing is dependent on the size and type of website. For small websites that want to transform their static site into an easy-to-edit corporate site with basic blog, we can roll through all 8 steps, focusing on the pieces of the puzzle that deliver the most bang for the buck, and have your overhauled website relaunched for less than $2,500.
For larger projects where we're installing a new content management system, migrating extensive content, doing a full redesign, training numerous people and providing strategic consulting, price tags of $10k and more are common.
Regardless of your situation, our goal is the same - to turn your website into an investment that pays for itself and contributes to your bottom line.
Please get in touch to discuss your needs - we're happy to provide a free estimate.
