Just a brief overview of what has been an effective strategy for developing and delivering a business-oriented web design:

Step 1 – Establish Goals and a Big Picture

In order to know what pages and other content needs to be here, we need to establish a purpose.  For most business IT websites, the primary goal is to educate visitors on the value of a product or service and drive sales.  So, for this example we’ll start there.  Everything else is an outgrowth of that.  This may mean hosting literature, and/or placing strategic calls to action for trial downloads, consultations, webinars, or simple form data collection.  Map out the objectives, because the goal (sales) is simple.

Step 2 – Identify Inspiration & Execute a Design

This “design” phase is in my opinion quite ironically the least important.  It should really be as simple as discussing with your designer (or if you ARE the designer, discussing with your client) some examples of design work they consider noteworthy and relevant.  Sometimes they’re competitor websites, and other times they’re unrelated.  Knowing what the buyer is after makes it easier to hit the target quickly.

Step 3 – Revisions & Delivery

Unless the buyer doesn’t know what they want or has too much time on their hands, this should go very quickly.  If it doesn’t, something has gone very wrong and either the designer sucks or the client sucks.  More often than not, a buyer who indicates in clear terms what they’re after has little trouble getting that if they’ve gone to a designer that they can communicate with.  Once the revisions seem to hit the spot, delivery should be made in whatever formats suit the project.

Don’t get hung up on technology and brands and methods, because it doesn’t matter from a business standpoint for design considerations.  The server technology is irrelevant for design purposes (I will happily but politely rebut anyone who says otherwise).  The tool you use to create the markup and CSS – Dreamweaver, Frontpage, whatever – is irrelevant.  It simply doesn’t matter HOW it is done, as long as it is done – and done right.

I can’t write enough on this topic.

The most important thing to consider for a small business owner or employee soliciting a bid to get a web presence up and running is communication:

• Does the vendor demonstrate interest in the purpose of the website?

• Over subsequent conversations do they demonstrate some commitment to memory of the details of your particular project?

• In general, is their communication of a professional nature? (I.E., quick replies, coherent and attentive emails with a courteous and professional tone.)

The answer to all these questions needs to be “yes.”  Any vendor who doesn’t express specific interest in YOUR project cannot be expected to act as a surrogate problem-solver.  As such, at best they can only sell you what you are asking for explicitly…but being possibly new to web design procurement, you may not know exactly what is in your business’ best interest.  One client once told me his biggest beef with high-dollar service vendors was that they often gave him what he asked for, instead of what he needed.  The distinction here is attention and communication.

As much as I hate to think about it, there are thousands of web design vendors out there who are more than happy to take your money to drum up designs using the bare minimum level of interest necessary to get you your deliverable and broom you out the door.  It sucks, but it’s reality.

A good web design vendor will help you identify the right solution, even if that means spending more or less than what it is you’ve asked for explicitly.  Part of the job description of a true professional web designer is to identify and address requirements.

More on that, after this…