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Commissioning a professional interactive agency to create a website is a decision that will save us a lot of trouble and time. Web design specialists will create a site for us that will attract customers and follow the latest trends. However, working with an agency first requires meeting and establishing the scope of marketing. How to prepare for such a meeting?
Why does working with an agency require preparation?
Before any meeting with a specialist, we need to think about what we expect from him. It is no different when it comes to creating a website. If cooperation with an interactive agency is to be fruitful, it is best to ask yourself a few questions beforehand:
- What audience do we want to reach?
- Is our website only to inform about the offer or should it also have a sales option?
- I want to create a site from scratch or modify the current site?
- What features of my business do I want to highlight?
These questions are, of course, just the beginning – if we want to prepare to talk to the people who will be designing our company’s website, we need to do a little homework.
How do you prepare for a website development partnership?
If you have no idea what creating a website entails, it’s certainly also hard for you to imagine what questions you might be asked by marketing agency professionals. We come to your aid – if you think about the following points, nothing when working with a marketing agency should surprise you.
Prepare yourself examples of sites you like
Sometimes it’s hard for us to describe in words what our dream website looks like. Fortunately, the Internet is the best source of
of inspiration
, which is at the touch of a mouse. If one is wondering how to prepare for working with an interactive agency, it is the prior review of competitors’ sites that will be most helpful.
This is not about copying, of course – we just need to discover what style of site we like. Perhaps we prefer simple and minimalist pages in black and white? Maybe we don’t like moving graphics and want to bet on pictures? Do we prefer the menu at the top of the page or on the left? Logo in the middle or in the corner? We will find the answers to these questions by looking at the websites of other companies – they don’t even have to be in our industry.
Working with an advertising agency – think about the color scheme of the website
One of the most important elements of any website is its color scheme. Of course, it should match the logo and other elements of our visual identity, but we can often include other colors as well. Let’s consider not only what colors we like, but more importantly, what colors will fit our brand. If you want to inspire confidence and a feeling of professionalism, you should choose calm and serious colors like brown or navy blue. If, on the other hand, we want our brand to be associated with fun, bet on strong greens, blues, yellows and reds.
If you are not sure what color scheme would be best for your business – rest assured. The advertising agency will certainly advise us in this regard.
Rethink the structure of the site
The structure of the site is one of the most important factors that affect the user’s perception of the site. That’s why it’s worth considering what kind of site layout suits us before meeting with an interactive agency. This is where prior review of competitors’ sites comes in handy. Let’s pay attention to details like:
- location of the menu
- number and content of bookmarks
- number of texts/photos/graphics/videos
- arrangement of content on the homepage
- presence of moving parts
Consider which elements you would like to use on your site and which you think are unnecessary. Of course, the layout of the site will largely depend on the type of our business. For some businesses, a “Portfolio” tab showing our implementations will be essential. For some, a “Pricing” tab will be necessary, while other companies are unable to provide upfront pricing. Therefore, there is no one right answer here – each company will require a different site structure.
Working with an advertising agency – think photos, video and text
The structure of the site is not everything – you still need to “fill” it with content: photos, videos, graphics, texts. Before the meeting, consider whether you have professional photos for your website. These can be photos of your headquarters, products, services, employees. If you don’t have them, consider whether they are necessary or whether the stock photos your agency can provide will suffice.
The case is similar with content for the site. The interactive agency will also provide you with copywriting services if you do not have descriptions of your products or a prepared company history. That’s why it’s worth considering what additional agency services you’ll want to use before working with an agency. Other marketing efforts like Google Ads and social media leads may also be among them.
Choose your domain well in advance
Choosing a domain is nothing more than choosing a “site name.” Of course, ideally the domain should be the name of our company, but sometimes it may already be taken. Of course, we don’t want to commit plagiarism, so we need to come up with something original. In such a situation, it is useful to come up with an address that is closest to our brand name. The domain should also be fairly simple – we will probably often have to spell it out for someone. For the same reason, it should also not be too long.
Working with an advertising agency – you don’t have to know everything
If the points we’ve indicated intimidate you a bit, don’t worry. These are just tips to make it easier for you to work with a marketing agency. However, if you do not know the answer to any of the questions we have asked, this will not be a problem for the agency. Everything can be discussed, and thinking about these issues in advance will simply make things easier. However, no matter how much you prepare before working with a marketing agency – specialists are sure to help you and advise you on issues on which you do not have a definite opinion.
