How do you start a website?

[crysis]

I want to ask, when a client asks for a website (lets say its for a small business and they don't know any thing about webdesign) who writes up all the content? Do you ask the client to write all the content that is going to be put on the site (about page, news etc) or do you as the web designer do it? I would like to know as i don't want to sound unprofessional by asking the client to do all that, but what if you dont know what to say?

 

[PokerKing]

webs.com is an easy way to make a free website but obviously the site name would be ******.webs.com which is ***..

but ask your client want he wants, then he can't complain if he doesn't like the end product

 

[crysis]

That wasnt the question.. I probably could have used a better topic title. Let me just rephrase: if a company wants me to make them a website, do i ask them to give me all the content they want, or do i make it myself?

 

[Necuno]

That wasnt the question.. I probably could have used a better topic title. Let me just rephrase: if a company wants me to make them a website, do i ask them to give me all the content they want, or do i make it myself?

normally they provide everything unless they want you to desing a logo for example or fit a tune to it which also they at least provide you with some guide lines for them.

 

[dshutts]

As someone who is going to be making a site for a client, your job is to present information about your clients business through a web medium. You do the design, etc, but the client has to let you know what information they want presented.

I usually say to my clients that if they want to keep costs down, they write up all the info that they want presented, I then arrange it in the correct categories and pages with formatting et al. If the client is prepared to pay for it, I arrange a copy writer to sit with them and write the information in a professional manner.

Mostly they provide what they want to have on the site. Some web designers do the copy-writing as well, but I view it is separate.

 

[Drake2007]

I want to ask, when a client asks for a website (lets say its for a small business and they don't know any thing about webdesign) who writes up all the content?

Simple answer, the client supplies you the content. (ask for their advertising material, business plan, mission statement etc.)

 

[moklet]

I tell the client to write/provide their own content, allthough sometimes i give them some hints of where to start. They should know their business best, if they want you to do it you have to charge them. The only thing I normally do is spell check etc.

 

[RSkeens]

I would recommend asking the client to provide the writing content, don't worry there is nothing unprofessional about it

 

[elysian]

Yeah, as said above, get them to give you the content. You help them organise it a bit to fit into whichever design you mock up for them (of course the mock up can have rubbish data in it). Tell them you obviously don't know their business as well as they do. They're the experts in their field.

Maybe include the number of pages in your quote. I've seen designers starting out get caught out when the site runs into 20+ pages and they were assuming about 5 pages. Tell them a basic 5 page site is Rx. Make some rates for bigger sites or let them know you'll up the price if they add pages.

Tell them that if they don't want to do the text content, that it'll be extra costs. Get somebody to write/proof-read it (or do it yourself for the extra R).

 

[crysis]

Cool guys thanks.

 

[guest2013-1]

That wasnt the question.. I probably could have used a better topic title. Let me just rephrase: if a company wants me to make them a website, do i ask them to give me all the content they want, or do i make it myself?

When a company approaches me for a website I tell them I would need them to think about what they'd want to display on the website, color designs etc and then tell them I would need to content from them.

If they don't know what to supply ask them for a brochure, a couple of "About us" or mission statements etc and what the company does. Get a content writer/copy writer to write up a few pages for them and then you bill them for it.

A lot of companies approach web guys not knowing what they want, I usually sit with them until they know what they want by asking them questions until they're blue in the face... lateron they'd only deal with me because "I know what they want" without them knowing... or something...

 

[crysis]

Do you ever communicate with your clients just over email? Or always face to face?

 

[RSkeens]

Do you ever communicate with your clients just over email? Or always face to face?

I usually do both, but only if they request face to face. After that it is usually only e - mail.

 

[guest2013-1]

Do you ever communicate with your clients just over email? Or always face to face?

They tend to waste your time face to face. Email works best. They think before they speak and then you have a record of what is said so no confusionay happen. Face to face i tend to re-iterate what they require a few times and ask them if I'm understanding them correctly. However. They love to turn that **** around later on when they want something different. So email only

 

[teresaschultz]

I agree that email works best, as one can refer back to the content of the emails of either party at a later stage should any disputes arise. I do, however, like to meet the client at least once, at the business for which the website is for, to get a better feel of the clients' business goals and even the colour scheme, and sometimes the clients needs me to take photos too, which I charge extra for.

It is best if the client supplies all the content, which is what I request from my clients, but I usually do a little extra with that content, or if it is already enough, I do warn the client I may change it slightly to include some keywords necessary for better findability, so that they don't feel offended I've fiddled with their writing at a later stage - but if they're adamant they want their content to stay the same - I at least insist that I can do what I like with their meta descriptions and titles for the meta tag coding for each web page as want my clients' websites to be found - or it reflects badly on me!

The more content they give me the better, and if it's not that much, I advise that they should try give a little more. If they need, say a 500 word article on a particular subject written, I charge to write the article for them - and either my boyfriend or I write the article, after doing any necessary research on the subject.

I am aware I do a little more for my clients than many other web designers would, all inclusive, but while building my portfolio up, feel it is necessary. Looking forward to March next year when I've said I will be putting my prices up.

There are many things to consider when deciding how much to help a client with the content of their website, but, most times, the more they provide, whether or not you're charging them for any writing you do, the better.

 

[guest2013-1]

I actually had a client dispute the time I worked for them in May/June saying I thumbsucked it. So they refused to pay. July rolled around and I was still doing work for them, they still didn't pay (not even July)

So in July she emailed me that she required a report. I asked her to specify what she'd like in the report. She said xyz and I gave her xyz. 2 weeks later she came back to me saying thanks but it's wrong, she needed abc as well.

I replied on her email saying this is proof of what I was talking about re: where my time goes into. That I don't mind changing things for her until she's happy (customer is always right) but that she disputes my time worked and refuse to pay and that she's now 3 invoices behind and I feel our business relationship should rather end here and to not try and get a meeting with me because the same things happen in meetings.

So as a precautionary method to not bankrupt myself, I thanked her for her past patronage and haven't heard from her since.

I love having mails as proof of people's stupidity.

 

[davemc]

I don't action anything without the written being sorted out.

What gets me nowadays is our freaking service providers and their agreements and contracts which always include a handy clause that says that terms and conditions can change at any time without warning (Well, few do specify a warning period).

And, at the same time they want you to sign up for a minimum of 12 months, but will not fix their part of the agreement for 12 months.

Aaaaaaarg!

/vent over. Ty for your time. Apologies.