Building a website: How to prepare for your first meeting with an agency?

Today, it is hard to find a small or large company, entrepreneur or freelancer without a website. If you are starting a new business or your current website no longer reflects the level your business has reached, you are probably considering building a new one.

If you are wondering how to build a website, working with a digital marketing agency offers many advantages. The biggest is having an entire web development team at your disposal. Otherwise, you will need to find a web designer, developers, copywriters and other specialists separately, while managing this major project yourself. If you are considering hiring a web development agency, here is some useful advice on how to prepare for your first meeting with the agency.

Who is on a web development team?

The number and roles of the people involved in building a website depend on the project’s requirements and complexity. However, three roles are essential:

• Project manager
• UI/UX designer / web designer
• Web developer: frontend developer and backend developer

Depending on the client’s needs, the team may also include a copywriter, SEO specialist, quality assurance tester and others. Website copywriting includes content for landing pages, product pages, blog posts and all other pages. Quality copy guides visitors through the most important information and helps them reach their destination easily.

If your copy is SEO-optimised, your website will rank highly in search results, making it easy for customers and clients to find you. Optimising copy for search engines is an important step in creating website content.

What is the difference between web development and web design?

As the name suggests, a web designer is responsible for website design, the part the end user sees. Everything begins with the designer, who prepares the website’s appearance. Developers then build the website and its features from that design. The designer needs to understand every part of the website and make it visually appealing and easy to understand, ensuring a positive user experience.

Web development includes frontend and backend programming — everything that happens ‘behind the scenes’ to make a website work quickly across screens and browsers. For example, while a web designer designs a button, the developer makes something happen when it is clicked.

The most important thing is to clearly state the goals you want to achieve through your website at the outset. You will probably have several goals, but you need a clear idea of the website’s purpose.

Building a website with a digital agency

The first meeting with an agency focuses on identifying the client’s business and digital needs. Since the agency must then prepare a website development plan and quote, it is important for the client to share as much information as possible. Read on to find out how to prepare for your first meeting about building a website!

Introduce your company

Although a web development agency has experience working with clients across different industries, nobody knows your company better than you do. Tell your story in detail and make sure you answer the following questions:

• What is the company’s history? How did you start?
• What products and services do you offer?
• How large is your company?
• What values define you?
• Who is your target audience, and what problems do you solve for them?
• What are your goals?

Understanding your company’s culture and values helps the agency team communicate exactly what your brand represents through the website.

Define your website’s goals

Clearly define your expectations for the website so the agency can meet them as effectively as possible. What do you want to achieve with your website?

• Do you want to present your company to a specific target audience?
• Do you want to sell your products online?
• Do you want to attract new customers and clients?
• Does your website communicate your values and messages?
• Or is your website simply an online presentation of your company and brand?

The most important thing is to clearly state the goals you want to achieve through your website at the outset. You will probably have several goals, but you need a clear idea of the website’s purpose.

Building a new website or redesigning an existing one

Does your company already have a website? It is important to tell the agency about all the marketing and communication channels you use. If you already have a website, how satisfied are you with its current results? Do you want an entirely new website or a redesign of the existing one? The costs and project scope differ, so make an informed decision. If your current website is poorly built and has an outdated design, building a new one may be the more affordable option.

Set a budget for your website and be ready to share it with the agency so you can easily find the best solution for your needs.

Find inspiration: Websites you like

You do not need to know exactly how you want your website to look and work, but it helps to prepare examples with designs or features similar to what you have in mind for your company. Take time to research websites you like and identify exactly what appeals to you. Consider what you think they do well, what they do not and what you dislike.

What you like will not necessarily work on your own website, but your input will be valuable to the web development team. Study your competitors’ websites too. Prepare links and review them with the agency team. Share what you like and dislike, what you would like to work on, how you differ from your competitors and how you want to highlight those differences.

Have you already prepared content for the website?

Create a sitemap for your website: a map containing information about its pages and how they relate to one another. List all pages and topics, then organise them to give website visitors a structured user experience.

Quality content is essential to a successful website. If you already have content prepared, the agency team will build the website around it. If you are starting from scratch, you need to decide whether to prepare the content yourself or entrust that to the agency too. Before your first meeting, check whether your company has:

• Logo
• Brand book
• High-quality photography and video you can incorporate into your website content
• Website copy

If you have a limited budget, you may decide to have someone on your internal team write your website content. Bear in mind, however, that if this person is not fully qualified for the task, it could affect the success of the entire website.

Website content should be SEO-optimised and use keywords relevant to your industry, making it easy for potential customers and clients to find you through search engines. Quality website copywriting also engages visitors and guides them towards the actions you want them to take. Consider whether the content needs translation and whether you need a multilingual website.

If you are looking for a complete team to build your company’s website, contact a digital agency. You will find everything you need in one place: quality delivery and a team of experts responsible for development, design, copywriting, SEO, testing and managing the entire project.

Who will maintain the website and update its content?

Finishing a website does not mean the work is over. To keep it functioning, you need regular maintenance, content updates and design checks. If you plan to edit the website yourself, you need a Content Management System (CMS). Many solutions are available, and the agency team will advise you on the best choice for your needs.

If nobody on your team can take on these tasks, your first meeting with the agency is an excellent time to discuss website maintenance options.

Do you need custom features?

In addition to a unique design, custom websites include various features to make the site as effective as possible and help you achieve your business goals more easily. At your first meeting, mention any custom features you need so the agency team can assess which platform to use for your website. This information also affects the cost of the website.

Why choose an agency to build your website?

If you are looking for a complete team to build your company’s website, contact a digital agency. You will find everything you need in one place: quality delivery and a team of experts responsible for development, design, copywriting, SEO, testing and managing the entire project.

Of course, your involvement as a client is important too. You can contribute by providing a thorough brief, clearly communicating your expectations and regularly giving feedback on the materials the agency delivers. Efficient communication, clearly defined steps and a high-quality final product are what you can expect from a leading digital web development agency.

With our team of outstanding designers and developers, your website will stand out from the competition and attract new customers and clients! We bring your vision and ideas to life.

Get in touch!