Forbes recently posted an article with some great tips to remember when trying to relaunch your small business with a new website.

Put in the prep work. Be prepared when meeting with a design agency or freelancer. Have some idea of what you want. Don’t be sold on extras you don’t want or need.

Allocate a budget. Keep this budget in mind when getting quotes for your project. If you set one price in your head and the first quote is 4x that amount, get another quote. Also keep in mind that the larger the agency, the larger the price tag is generally. If you’re a small business or start-up and keeping the price at $5,000 or below is important, take that into consideration when looking for firms. A larger firm, has larger overhead.

Choose a designer. This step is important and talking with the actual designer before you commit is helpful. This will help make sure you’re both on the same page.

Keep communication organized.

Agree on payment terms. This could be a 50 percent upfront, 50 percent completion method, an hourly rate, or at some large firms a monthly retainer rate. As Jason Sadler’s Forbes article notes, “the last thing you want is a bill, two months after your new site launches for $1,000 in web hosting and maintenance”.

Think of your audience. Keep your current website audience in the loop about your new website design. This is an excellent tidbit to share with your mailing list, Facebook, Twitter followers, etc. If you don’t have these outlets established yet, you may want to consider starting to build these areas along with your new website.

Expect the unexpected. There may be a few bumps along the way, but in the end you will have a brand new website for your existing and future clients.

// See the full article here //