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If you are in business and you don’t have a website the question I have for you is, are you really serious about your business? If you are a business and you have a website then I ask you this question is it providing what you need and expect. Can you have your cake and eat it too?

There are millions of websites out there some are business sites some are personal sites and some are entertainment sites, and a whole lot of others, but they all have something in common and that is they all have specific needs that need to be met so that they can meet the needs of the clients , customers, friends and relatives. This is what this article is about, its about getting fulfillment from your web designer so that you get exactly what you need from your website.

Getting what you need from your website is a two-way street it involves speaking and listening on the part of both parties, the web developer, and the website owner. Each plays an important role in getting what you need and expect from your website. It is important that you convey to your web designer in clear terms what it is you want your website to accomplish.

Is it an E-commerce site, where you intend to sell something or is an marketing site where you merely need to make the public aware of what you offer or do you simply want to entertain your visitors. Are you seeking to get as high a ranking in the search engines as possible (remember everybody can’t be ranked #1).

This is why you need to be clear about your expectations and the functionality required of your site. Once you have your list of functionality it’s a wise choice to put it in writing that way you can go over it and make sure you are conveying your desires, and you have a document to fall back on in case you find that you didn’t get what you asked for. Provide this document to your web designer if they don’t have something that list your desires.

Some web designers are so excited about the job that they don’t listen to exactly what you are saying, some on the other hand want to sell you the technology of the day whether you really need it or not they make it sound as if you can’t possibly succeed without it and expound on how it’s going to make your life so much easier. They are salesman, remember that, and most salesman don’t listen very well.   

So to get what you need from your site you need to do the following :

1.      Clearly understand in your mind what it is you expect your site to accomplish if necessary have a focus meeting and gather ideas from friends, customer and co-workers it wouldn’t be bad to invite your web developer to attend.

2.      Write down your expectations and meet with your web developer make sure they have a copy, now discuss what can and cannot be implemented or set a time line for implementation. This should all be done before he writes the proposal after all it may affect the cost. Although proposals can be amended it’s best to get everything down and in writing at the start.

3.      As part of the implementation of the project have your web designer provide you with a check-off list this will help you make sure everything you need is in the design and give your web developer a work list of thing he has to accomplish.

4.      Before the go live date set down in front of the site with your check-off sheet in hand and make sure everything is there and functioning as requested.

Following these simple steps will result in you getting what you need from your website and an easy transition to live status knowing that it meets your expectations. You can have your cake and eat it too.