Did you know that creating a website is like building a digital home? You need to plan it carefully, to have a clear vision, and, often, a team of talented vendors to bring that vision to life.
Still, by April of this year, only 37% of small business websites in the US remembered to provide the customers with contact information for the company. It seems like somebody got lost somewhere along a vision, but it’s nothing that couldn’t be handled. Usually you just need to let experts do their job and enjoy. Working with vendors is an art, but it’s still important for the success of your website.
What are your needs?
Before you even think about reaching out to vendors, you need to have a clear understanding of what you need from your website.
Start by asking yourself these questions:
- What is the primary purpose of your website? Are you to sell products, showcase a portfolio, provide information, or create a community? Once you define your website’s purpose, you’ll have a clear guide for the next step.
- Who is your target audience? When you know your website’s purpose, it’s easier to determine your desired audience. This step can help you around tailoring website’s design, functionality, and content–all in favor of meeting their needs and preferences.
- What features do you need? First of all, don’t forget to add your contact details. Also, think about functionalities like e-commerce capabilities, contact forms, blogs, or social media integration. It might be helpful if you make a list of must-have features and nice-to-haves to discuss with vendors.
- What is your budget? Having a clear budget in mind will help you prioritize features and set realistic expectations when speaking with vendors.
How to choose the right vendors?
In your path on how to manage a vendor relationship, first you need to choose the one that is right for your needs. Remember there is no perfect vendor but there is a perfect one for you.
So how to look for vendors?
First, do some research. You can look for web design agencies, freelancers, or full-service companies. Web design agencies can usually handle everything from design to development. Freelancers are great if you have a smaller budget, so you can hire them for specific tasks like graphic design, content writing, or coding. And full-service companies can offer a one-stop shop for all your digital marketing needs, like an SaaS SEO agency.
You can also ask for referrals from colleagues or friends who have recently completed website projects. Personal recommendations can often lead to reliable vendors.
Second, once you’ve found potential vendors (you still need to choose one, right?), check their portfolios. You can look if their aesthetic aligns with your vision. Because, to be honest, the first impression your website is going to make is visual. You need a design style that you’ll be happy with, the one that responds to your website’s purpose, and your vendor needs to be able to understand your own vision.
Try to find a vendor with a diversity of projects in their portfolio. Sometimes a vendor with experience in various industries may bring fresh ideas and insights, especially if you don’t have a clear vision of how your website should look like. Not too highly recommended as there is a thin line in letting your vendor do what you want and micromanaging their work. The best approach can sometimes be just to let them do their job.
If they’ve built websites before, test them to see how user-friendly and functional they are.
Next, don’t skip on reading reviews and testimonials. Online reviews can give you valuable insights into a vendor’s reliability and work quality. You can check platforms like Google, Yelp, Reddit, or industry-specific sites for customer reviews.
Look for positive feedback, but don’t forget to read the negative ones as well. Pay attention to recurring complaints, as they may indicate consistent issues. It’s like looking for a repairman for your home–the one whose work you like the most is always busy and late. Will you still give them the chance?
And finally, once you’re narrowed down your list, schedule interviews with potential vendors. During this process, remember that clear and timely communication is key to a successful partnership. A good vendor will always ask questions to better understand your vision and requirements. And if you like, you can ask how they handle challenges and unexpected issues during a project.
How to set clear expectations?
Determine who will be responsible for each aspect of the project. With clearly defined roles, you’ll avoid confusion and ensure accountability. Common roles may include project manager who oversees the project timeline and makes sure the deadlines are met.
Then there’s the designer, naturally responsible for the visual elements of the website. The developer handles coding and technical functionality, and the content writer creates the text and multimedia content for the site.
Another helpful step is to create a timeline with key milestones and deadlines. This will help keep the project on track and make sure everyone is aware of their deliverables. Also, be upfront about your budget. Discuss pricing structures, payment schedules, and any additional costs that may arise during the project. If you keep financial discussions transparent you’ll avoid surprises later on.
How to establish effective communication?
There are loads of tools you can use to keep up with your vendor (Slack, Trello, Asana, to name just a few). Whichever communication platform you chose, it’ll help everyone be on the same page and facilitate real-time updates.
Regular meetings (weekly or fortnightly) can help address any issues and keep the project moving forward. You can use check-ins to discuss progress, setbacks, and any changes to the project scope.
When reviewing work from your vendors, try to provide constructive feedback. Be specific about what you like and what could be improved. This clarity can only help you both since vendors can refine their work to better align with your vision.
But, while you should express your ideas and preferences, be open to vendor suggestions. Experienced professionals can provide valuable insights that may enhance your project.
Can you manage changes and challenges?
As the project progresses, you may realize that some features need to be added or modified. What you can do is to discuss any scope changes openly and be prepared for potential impacts on the timeline and budget.
Keep a record of all communications, decisions, and changes made during the project. This documentation serves as a reference point and can help prevent misunderstanding.
Also, be prepared to adapt to unforeseen challenges. Every project is prone to suffer from them, in one form or another. The only difference is how you’ll react to that. By keeping a flexible mindset you can navigate obstacles more smoothly. Plus, you’re not going through them alone–you have vendors to help you.
Is it time to launch your website?
The website is built, and it’s time for the grand reveal!
But before launching, conduct thorough testing to see if everything functions as intended. You can test features like forms, links, and payment systems. Involve your vendors in this process to leverage their expertise.
Discuss SEO strategies with your vendors to make sure your site is optimized for search engines. This includes keyword research, meta tags, and mobile-friendly design.
Make a strategy on how you’ll promote your new website. Work with your vendors to develop a marketing strategy that may include social media, email newsletter, and content marketing.
Your website is out, now what?
The relationship with your vendors shouldn’t end at launch. You need to stay in touch for various reasons. It’s like going to a hairstylist–just doing a dye job is not enough, you need to come back to maintain your color, to refresh it, and to keep your hair healthy. You don’t want any dead ends.
So, after launch, keep an eye on your website’s performance metrics, such as traffic, conversion rates, and user engagement. You can use tools like Google Analytics to track this data.
Continue to communicate with your vendor for ongoing support and maintenance. Regular check-ins can help address any issues that arise and keep your website running smoothly.
Also, you can consider having periodic updates and improvements to your website based on user feedback and changing trends. Work with your vendors to implement these enhancements.
Some relationships never end
Starting your collaboration with vendors in creating a perfect website is an ongoing project. At first, it might seem like it’s all about being prepared to launch your website on time, but once this is done, you shouldn’t burn the bridge connecting you.
Launching the website is usually the hard part of the work, and the most interesting one. After all, you get to choose the colors, the design, all those interesting features. But having a website and working with vendors has another side of the coin, the calmer one this time. Sure, there’s no rush nor deadlines, but you need to maintain your website operational and perfect as the first day it launched.
So, brace yourself for a relationship that might never end–nor, for the sake of your website, it should.