7 Questions to Ask a Web Development Company (Before You Sign a Contract)
It’s just happened again. A prospective client called me after having spent $5000+ for her whiz bang new website a web development company put together. It looks great but it’s not bringing her any new clients.
I’m not surprised.
There’s not a single bit of basic SEO included anywhere on it so she’s not getting found in search. I’m talking basic stuff (or, what I consider basic) and intrinsic to your marketing efforts.
Your Website is About Sales, Not Fonts
Wouldn’t you agree?
See, here’s the thing most business people don’t understand. All websites are not the same. Some are marketing tools that bring you business and others, well, they’re something you can put on your business card.
Which would you rather have?
Here’s how basic SEO marketing works on your website.
Your writer uses SEO friendly copy (text) on your site using the language of your visitors in strategic ways.
Here’s an example:
If I were writing SEO friendly copy for a fitness trainer, I’d use Wordtracker or another professional SEO tool to determine if more people search for “fitness trainer” vs. “personal fitness trainer” AND how much competition exists.
What I’m looking for is “winnable” keyword terms that your clients actually use—not what you think they might use.
My research would uncover that the term “fitness trainer” has 18,3302 searches a month, however, there are 11,234 sites already ranking for it.
Hmmm..tough competition.
On the other hand, “personal fitness trainer” has 31,098 searches/month and only 3402 sites outranking you.
That’s more “winnable”.
Of course, we’ll add geography since you’re not looking for clients 70 miles away which will narrow it down. And by including “personal” in front of “fitness trainer”, you get the benefit of both terms.
And I do this for every webpage.
I include the term in the headline, in the meta data, call to action and the URL whenever possible.
That $5000 site?
Nope.
The report I ran on it found it didn’t have even more basic elements like Google Analytics installed (so you know how many people visit your site, what they do there and if your traffic is going up over time).
Nor a Sitemap (which tells Google that each of your pages go together).
Both of these are free and take 5-10 minutes to install for a web developer.
Sadly, I see examples of this “lack of marketing thought” in websites every day.
Business owners clueless about marketing and technology assume that a website is what they need to attract customers rather than a website that functions as a marketing tool.
They are VERY different animals.
If You’re Considering a Website Refresh in 2015, Here are Seven Questions to Ask your Web Development Partners:
1—Will they use WordPress or another CMS (Content Management System) platform where you’ll be able to easily make updates (like hours changing)?
There’s no reason to have a static website in the modern age and be beholden to busy developers to make small changes for you. That’s what WordPress is for. The pro’s do the heavy lifting and you can change your hours or update your blog on your own.
2. Will it be “responsive”? Or is that additional cost?
Whether your client looks at your site from a laptop, smartphone or tablet, a “responsive” design will ensure your site sizes correctly for the screen. That makes it easier for your customer to find what he or she is looking for and isn’t that what you really want?
“50% of all mobile searches are conducted in hopes of finding local results, and 61% of those searches result in a purchase.” (Search Engine Watch) via Hubspot.
3—Are you responsible for providing all the content or will you work with a writer to get the best copy you can?
It’s not unusual for a website project to be delayed because the web team is waiting on you to submit the copy. Too many business people underestimate the time and resources needed to write effectively for the web. Aside from the writing itself, there are best practices to follow in web copy.
Following these best practices will help you make more money. Hiring a writer to get it done correctly is a wise investment.
4—Is basic SEO included or is that additional? Look at #3. Most web development teams will not write your copy for or write it to best SEO practices unless you’ve spelled this out in the initial contract.
I cannot emphasis this enough. Without basic meta data, <h1> tags and calls to action crafted with your client in mind, your website is not likely to be found in search or to convert your potential clients to sales.
It’s not the only thing necessary to a high performing site but it is does build a strong foundation for your marketing.
5—Will you include a basic email sign up form – preferably in the right hand column where your visitors will see it and not hidden in the footer as is “fashionable” these days?
Growing your email list is essential to your marketing efforts. In order to do that well, there’s a process to follow which I outline here. but you first have to start with the email capture itself. Aweber, Constant Contact, Mailchimp, etc. all will work, but you have to have them set up to get started.
If you don’t already have a list, don’t delay.
B2B Magazine reports “59% of B2B marketers say email is the most effective channel for generating revenue” via Hubspot.
6—How long can you expect it to take? While web projects can get derailed for a variety of reasons, (see #3 above) content is a big one. I’ve heard more than ten web developers tell me they were waiting on content from the client in order to finish the site. It’s absurd for a simple 6-7 page WordPress site to take 6-8 months.
That’s IF you’re doing your part in reviewing the content/mock up and giving your go ahead.
When it’s your turn to approve things, do so and keep the momentum going so you can reap the rewards of your new site sooner rather than later.
7–Will you own the domain? Ouch! This is a biggie.
Imagine this scenario, you put down your deposit, work with the web team and get a beautiful piece of marketing real estate aka your website. Then, you realize you’re required to pay the web company a monthly fee (often several hundred or thousands of dollars) to host and maintain it.
If you choose to move it to another host, you can’t because you signed over the rights to your domain name.
It happens.
Read your contract. Ask questions.
It’s Smart to be Informed
These practices aren’t underhanded or shady you just don’t know what you don’t know. Therefore, you don’t know the difference.
Inform yourself. Ask questions. Make sure you’re paying for a solid marketing foundation, not a “pretty” site that will generate a few dozen visitors a month and few, if any, buyers. Want more ideas on bringing more people to your site and turning them into visitors? See this post on using content to increase your visitors.
