Your 5-point checklist for website project success

Your 5-point checklist for website project success

by | 22 Oct 2021 | Outsourcing, Websites

The importance of being on the same page can be the difference between a website project that succeeds or fails. Not being aligned can lead to miscommunication, ambiguity, reworkings, wasted time, and even unsatisfactory outcomes. But there are ways to avoid these common pitfalls so you can set yourself up for success.

At Winch Websites, we make use of a number of tools to help smooth and guide the transfer of details, information and ideas, to keep everyone in the loop, and to provide feedback. These include (among others) templates for processes, templates to gather data and directions, and easy-to-use commenting right on the website project pages.

Here’s our 5 most important areas to focus on, to ensure you get what you desire from a website project.

Roles and responsibilities

A clear understanding of roles and responsibilities is key to a smooth project. When there's a breakdown in who's responsible for what, projects tend to go awry. Make sure you're clear about the role/responsibility of each team member before a project begins — and don't pick up tasks you're not supposed to be doing!

This might translate into;

  • who is ‘the voice’ for the project on your side, to be the main conduit to the website creator, the graphic designer, or the content writer?
  • who makes the final decision to move to the next stage, or if there are differing opinions?
  • who will be reviewing and assessing what’s been done, and suggesting changes/improvements?
  • who will write the words, source the images & photos, decide the colour-scheme, design the layout?

Vision

It's a good idea to have a clear vision for your startup before you begin. It can be difficult to make progress without some kind of guiding principle. If all of the people on board with the project know what the mission is, they can keep each other on task and moving toward success.

This could be making sure that all concerned know what the ultimate objectives for the website project are - is it to sell online, generate leads, build an email list, or create awareness? How will you know you’ve achieved your objectives? Putting numbers to it makes it easier for people to see where the project is headed - for example, a 50% increase in online sales.

Budget

It's always good to have a budget prepared. But the budget shouldn't be so specific that it cuts off potential opportunities or unforeseen expenses. You should have enough wiggle room to make changes to the project's direction if necessary, but try hard not to change it willy-nilly. Everyone involved in the project should agree on the budget beforehand for transparency and clarity among all parties, and aim to stick to it.

If significant changes look to be beneficial though, be ready to adjust the budget accordingly. You’ll definitely want to avoid expectations that the scope and size of your project can simply adapt as you come up with new ideas, without impacting the budget and the timelines.

Timelines & Scope

Speaking of which... the biggest challenge of any web development project is setting realistic timelines and milestones. A project should have clear timelines even before the start of the work. If anyone plans to get involved in the project or if there are any challenges that could come up, update these timelines immediately. If you update it often, there should be no scope creep and everyone will be aligned with timetables.

The last thing we want is someone expecting a website to be launched on Day X when it’s been pushed back due to agreed changes in scope - particularly if that person is telling others it will be ready!

You and others involved in the project will likely have plenty of other stuff to do besides the website project. Be sure to allocate appropriate resources and time of your own to keep up with what you are expected to do in the agreed timeline. No point getting stressed because you can’t fit in what people need you to do - it’s better to over-estimate the time required than under-estimate. Everyone loves to come in early on a project! 😀

Scheduled Check-Ins

Scheduling check-ins is one of the most vital parts of running a business. Communication is key to success; you can't manage what you don't know, and regular check-ins are excellent opportunities to share and listen.

By setting up check-ins at certain intervals (weekly, monthly, or quarterly), you can ensure everyone concerned is on the same page and any potential roadblocks are identified before they become problems.

At Winch Websites, we provide a project update email every Friday; what’s been done, what’s being done next, and what you need to give us in the next week. And of course, phone or videoconference calls can happen on top of that if there are particular aspects to discuss further.

Like A Bit More?

If you found this quick overview interesting and useful, you might like to download our free guide to learn the secrets to a successful website project, featuring tips that you can implement straight away. It expands further on what’s above, plus you’ll get a series of bite-size emails to build up your awareness and capabilities even more.


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5 questions you’ll want to ask me about website care plans.

5 questions you’ll want to ask me about website care plans.

by | 15 Oct 2021 | Outsourcing, Take Care, Websites

One of the most fundamental things you can do for your website is to prevent it from breaking. Alarmingly, there are still many business owners who don’t take web maintenance seriously enough. It’s natural to think that, since you built it, you can manage it. But having a hands-on approach to your site care simply isn’t sustainable over the long run.

How much do you know about website care plans? What are your questions on professional website care? If you’re seeking answers to these questions, read on.

1. Why are care plans so important?

Your website is powered by software, just the same as your phone and your computer/laptop. And as you are well aware, software needs to be kept up-to-date to keep the bad guys out, to fix bugs and problems that have been discovered, and to add new features and capabilities.

So your website is no different, there are constant modifications and improvements to its software that you are highly recommended to keep up with. While it may not be so important to add all the latest bells & whistles, it is vital to ensure that your website won’t fail when a visitor tries to use it (for example, buy something, send you an enquiry, or sign up for your newsletter). It is equally vital that you don’t let others break in and take control of your website through security faults in the software. Just think, if you found one of your windows at home wasn’t closing any more, you’re more than likely not going to leave it that way or you risk someone burgling the place. So it is with your website, don’t leave those back windows with broken locks.

This is real-world stuff too, and I’ve had a number of clients come to me after being stung. One organisation had recently launched their new website, it was hacked and defaced with less-than-pleasant content, and they lost the whole investment. Website security and maintenance wasn’t their ‘thing’ (and absolutely no reason for it to be) but they paid a hefty price for just assuming everything could be left alone once the site was published.

2. My website isn’t that big or complicated, do I still need a care plan?

No matter how simple your website, as mentioned above, it is powered by software - and someone needs to look after that software to keep it updated. I’m a big fan of continuously making small updates, rather than waiting for long periods and then catching up with everything in one go.

Waiting longer means risking your website getting attention of the wrong sort while a security hole has been discovered, even though there’s a fix which you haven’t got yet. It also means there are more significant software changes which risk incompatibilities or untested jumps from old version to latest version.

Small updates often is the go!

3. Can’t I just run the updates myself?

Of course you can! You can service your own car too. And fix your own plumbing. And a myriad of other DIY tasks, at work or at home.

But here’s the thing - what’s the best use of your time? I know for a fact that you have exactly the same 24 hours in every day that I do. What would be the best way you can spend your work time and avoid losing your leisure/family time?

I would guess that while most updates are quick and easy, sorting things out when there’s a hiccup is not going to be a favourite activity of yours.

Outsourcing your website care to a professional who has the tools, the knowledge and the experience to keep your website humming is an investment in your business, freeing you to spend that time on growing and building your business.

4. It doesn’t seem that complicated, so what’s included in a care plan?

Website care from Winch Websites is more than simply ensuring that the website software is updated every so often. Those updates are an essential element, but on top of that, all websites under our website care have a range of additional “add-ons” activated to make sure the website is all good.

For example, daily backups that are independent of webhosting. What if there’s a fire at the data-centre where your website (and its webserver backups) are housed? That was an event that took out thousands of websites in March 2021. Eek! 😱

Website security is another benefit of website care by Winch Websites - if your site is hosted with us, you already get excellent security protections, this is stepped up for website care clients.

Higher website care plans include blocking spammers from using your website forms, and 24/7/365 monitoring with auto-alerts (to us) if your website disappears for any reason.

One thing may particularly appeal to busy people is that all plans include some time to make changes to your website - update that paragraph, amend that pricing, replace that photo etc. Send an email and it’s taken care of for you.

5. Doesn’t my hosting company do that?

Horses for courses. Your dentist is good at teeth, but I don’t know that you want to be buying home-made toothpaste and/or toothbrushes from her/him. Hosting companies may provide some elements of website care - you should certainly expect them to be maintaining the underlying webserver that powers your website software, for example.

Hosting is not a high-profit-margin business though, so one way or another you’d need to be paying for additional attention given to your site. Your site is unique, with its combination of words, images, functions and tools. It’s not an environment that works particularly well for highly automated mass-scale operations.

So while you could expect site backups, good security, and reasonable performance, investing in someone who is familiar with your site, can give it one-on-one attention, and who can help you make sure your website is doing positive things, is an investment that will pay dividends.

For more info about website care by Winch Websites, take a look at the range of plans available and what they include. These are structured to help you as the owner of a website be confident that it is doing what it should and that there’s someone on hand for when it isn’t, and to assist in keeping it accurate, correct and fresh. Get in touch if you’d like to chat about website care for your website.

I would especially love to hear from you if you have ideas and advice on what else a website care plan needs to be of value to you.

Tell A Story To Your Customers Through Your Brand

Tell A Story To Your Customers Through Your Brand

by | 1 Oct 2021 | Marketing

First - what is “branding”?

Branding is about the experience of interacting with a business. It's about the range of thoughts and feelings you have when you think of a company. Branding is about how your company interacts with your audience. It's about the tone of voice of your posts on blog posts, on Facebook , Twitter , Snapchat . It's about how your delivery drivers act, how the packaging of your products looks, the colour of your walls, your charity work and your promotions. It's a combination of a lot of different things to form a brand image in the minds eye.

More than your logo

While a logo does a lot to a company’s image and identity, it’s important for a business owner to know exactly what purpose a logo serves, especially if it’s for your startup! A logo serves to identify your business from competitors and to help build brand awareness. It is a pictorial representation of the company and it’s important to know what qualities to look for when designing a logo! A company logo should be memorable, easily recognizable and should bring together all the elements of the company’s branding. It’s also vital that your logo and branding conveys and supports your core values and goals! Don’t stress over it though, it’s not all about (or only about) the logo.

A graphic designer should create a professional logo based on an interview with you - to get a feel for what you stand for, what your products/services mean to the people that benefit from them, to convey all the above in one simple picture. It is a skill, and it’s well worth paying for.

Do you have a colour scheme?

It's no secret that different colours can affect people in different ways. A study by UK psychologists showed that people who saw the colour red were more prone to anger, while people who saw the colour blue were likely to be more relaxed and in a better mood! Of course, colours don't just evoke emotions in the people who use them, but in the people who see them. A study showed that people who were exposed to blue and green were more prone to fatigue and sluggishness, while people who were exposed to red and yellow were more likely to experience energy and happiness. Whatever your business is, you should be using the colours most appropriate to the emotion you want to evoke in your customers. Doing this will help keep them in a good mood while they're around your product! This is all part of your story, and your brand.

Your colours will generally be decided as part of a logo design, and will fit in with your logo. Expect your graphic desiger to provide you with a primary colour (the one most common eg. for your shirts, caps, mugs, website, brochures...) and a secondary colour (also used commonly but less often eg. for headings, header/footer background, sewed-on text...). You’ll also want a highlight colour eg. for the “BUY NOW” button.

“Copy” - the words you use

When it comes to storytelling, words can make a big difference. You can weave together intricate plots, create interesting characters, and develop a captivating story arch, to make readers more likely to remember. Rather than saying simply, "He was a handsome man," you could create imagery by writing, "He was a handsome man with blue eyes that twinkled like stars." Creating powerful imagery for your audience has the potential to be the difference between a mediocre story and a memorable one.

An Image Paints A Thousand Words

Speaking of images, photos play a vital role when you want to tell a story. It's about bringing your audience into the story with you. Be sure to take photos with good quality, the right lenses, the right positioning. You can take photos with any camera, but you want to make sure that the photos are in high resolution. Use good lighting, focus properly and avoid blurriness.

Upload your photo in high resolution, in colour. Don't be afraid to take risks with how you take your photos, sometimes they'll fail, but sometimes it will be your best success.

Important things to remember when taking photos is to be creative, but also to take them with purpose. You want to find the right balance between the two to get the best results.

If you don’t have and can’t get your own unique photos, and instead hop online to choose stock photos, be sure to pick images that truly represent what you’re trying to get across - it’s all about the ‘feel’. There are far too many generic stock photos being used that add little value and say nothing about you other than that you obviously used stock photos. There needs to be a genuine link to you and what you’re saying. After all, the photo is emphasising the story you’re telling. Your story. And therefore your brand.

Get Good At Storytelling

One of the more successful ways to stand out and succeed is through telling stories that relate to your readers (customers/clients). I highly recommend getting hold of “StoryBrand”, a book by Donald Miller. It’s a good read, engaging and easy to follow, and it will fill you with ideas and understanding. It’s available in many places, if like me you prefer to listen to a book while doing other things, you can also get it as an audio book through Audible. Check it out!

Connecting via storytelling

Connecting via storytelling

by | 3 Sep 2021 | Marketing

Intro

Storytelling is an ancient practice. It’s the internet Version 1 😀

It’s how as a species we have passed on lessons, rules, laws, and processes from generation to generation, tribe to tribe, place to place. Stories teach us, inspire us, and invoke our emotions.

“What does that have to do with marketing?” I hear you ask.

Effective storytelling is a powerful tool for any organisation or business. It creates a personal and relatable link between you and your customer. It creates a connection, and with that comes trust. Write an authentic story and your customers will want to keep coming back to you. Storytelling helps you to stand out from the competition.

As someone running a small business, I’ve always been fascinated by the ability of the internet to ‘level the playing field’. Boxing clever allows almost anyone to compete with billion-dollar multinationals. Reading this blog post, it’s likely you’re a small organisation too, perhaps wondering how to get ahead in a sea of competition. The good news is, you absolutely can!

Does that fill you with optimisim? That’s a micro-story right there.

Of course you’ll be familiar with storytelling elsewhere. It’s all around you, such as adverts with ‘personal’ stories (portrayed by actors, mind you 🤔), every movie you watch, and the guests on talk shows plugging their book.

Let’s go through some of the key elements that a great story needs.

Be relatable

What is it that the “main character” of your story shares with the reader? You’ll need to know your audience - who do you want/expect to read this story, how do they normally speak, what words & phrases are they used to, and will they understand any industry terms or acronyms you use? In other words, use their language about something that is familiar to them. What experience or aspect do you have in common so that your story specifically resonates and relates to them?

Identify the problem

Your story has a point, of course. Be clear about the problem, difficulty or need that underpins this story, and ensure that is one that your audience identifies with. Selling a robo-vac? Then the need is a clean floor without putting in time & effort. Outline the problem or obstacle faced by the main character, and take the reader through a journey to find the solution (probably YOUR solution).

How was the problem solved?

And finally, describe that solution. How it was implemented, the difference it made, and thoughts & feelings about the new situation. Did it all work out as planned and expected? Definitely stir the emotions here!

Storytelling fits into all sorts of different areas of marketing. Your “About Us” page is a great start - why is it that you do what you do, and how does that relate to your customers? If you run an email newsletter, that’s an excellent place for storytelling. Flyers, product/service webpages, TV & radio ads, wherever you’ve got the space & time to squeeze in a story.

So maybe take 15 minutes now for a quick review of your own marketing. Are there places where you could/should be storytelling?

5 Tips For Working With A Website Creator

5 Tips For Working With A Website Creator

by | 6 Aug 2021 | Outsourcing, Websites

Investing your time, energy and money into a website project offers big benefits but comes with significant risks. Even if you’ve had a website created before, it can be difficult to know how to ensure it is successful, with different people, processes and technologies involved every time.

So what do you need to have in place, for a website project to run smoothly?

  1. Know what YOU want - One of the most important things you can do is be clear on what you are trying to achieve with your website. Best advice is to choose SMART goals, that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, a 50% increase in sales within 12 months of publishing the new website. Having a clear brief lets you and your website creator stay on the same page and move you towards your goals.
  2. Find a web professional you can trust - While it is very important to find someone with the skills, experience, tools and ability to create the website you have in mind, it is also important to see if their personality is a good fit for you and yours for them. It is so much easier to communicate effectively and work together if you get on with each other. Are they happy to answer questions, and are the answers put in terms you understand? Are they interested in you and what you’re trying to achieve? Are there examples of previous work with their name on it? Is that the sort of thing you want them to do for you?
  3. Follow a process - Having a timeline in place is crucial for a project to run smoothly. Be clear with yourself and with the website creator on how long the project is expected to take, and that appropriate time & resources will be allocated. Map out how you and the website creator expect the project to run, and what communication and collaboration tools will be used. Will that suit you?
  4. Have a clear budget - Decide on the level of investment you are prepared to make for your website. Obviously, a $300 website is very different to a $30,000 website. Both are common! Agree your budget with your web creator before you start any work, and what that is going to provide - a formal signed proposal is a good way to proceed. Expect any additional features or changes that are outside the initial scope of work to require additional investment. Don’t be tempted to go for the cheapest option, it is cheap for a reason.
  5. Be prepared to get involved -You are unlikely to get what you want unless you are able to give constructive feedback, it is the lifeblood of a good web design project. Try to ensure that you provide feedback on each step of the process and especially when asked. It helps you and your website creator to stay on the same page. Provide feedback in a way that moves the project forward - so not “I don’t like the background colour”, but rather “I prefer a light blue for the background colour”.

Hopefully these quick tips are useful when you next look for a website creator to assist with your next website project. If you’d like to learn how to make your next website project a winner in more detail, why not download our free guide to learn the secrets to a successful website project, featuring tips that you can implement straight away.