OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

So, your business has had a website for the last few years that just doesn’t look good. It doesn’t perform the way you want it to. The site is dated, lacks function and doesn’t represent your brand or the direction it’s moving in. Looking at it makes you sad, imagining how much impact a well-made website could make and seeing your competitors generate leads that should be coming directly to you…

SOUND FAMILIAR?
HERE’S WHAT WE CAN DO.

Let’s sit down together and run a brief website audit. In doing so, we find out how your current site was built, if and where your domain exists and how to access your current website from an editing perspective.

Confused? We’d be surprised if you weren’t. We break it down into 3 easy steps in order to kickstart your website upgrade and seamlessly transition to a better looking and working website.

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN

WHAT TO ASK YOUR CURRENT WEB DEVELOPER:

In order to make informed decisions, we ask you to communicate with your current provider/ designer and gather some information that makes the transfer easy and seamless. Here is what to ask when preparing to move on or crossover to another platform.

• Website Hosting Details
  Q: Who is my provider and can you provide me access?
  Q: What type of plan am I on?
  Q: Are there any settings the new designer should be aware of?
  
  A: You will most likely be provided with a login for a host website (Shopify, Wix, Wordpress etc) or for a CMS (Content Management System). This looks like the back-end or ‘Dashboard’ for your website and is how it can be edited.
  

• Domain Ownership
  Q: Who owns the domain?
  Q: Where is it registered? (GoDaddy, Squarespace etc)
  Q: Can you provide login credentials for this domain?
  
  A: A domain is the URL that is purchased and placed on your website for people to search (for example www.monocrow.net). Knowing what you own and where it is kept will allow you to transfer this url from an old website to a new one and enable your new designer to manage it.
  
  If either of these are not accessible by you, you must request transfer of ownership or complete access in order to manage them successfully.
  

• Website Files and Backup
  Q: Can you provide or tell me where all current website assets are?
  Q: Are there any custom scripts, CSS or integrations I should know about?
  
  A: Knowing where the photography, video and assets are stored, will allow for smooth transition from one website to another. Knowing about any integrations, scripts, third party plug-ins and custom code will stop your new designer from accidentally breaking your website when trying to edit.
  

• SEO and Analytics
  Q: What strategies are currently in place for SEO?
  Q: What Analytics Tools are in use?
  
  A: Knowing what strategies are in place will allow your new designer to assess two things. The first, will be if the current strategies are performing and the second, how they can improve these strategies and implement those your previous designer may have missed.

WHERE TO NOW?

With this information, we sit down and discuss what you want from your upgrade or new build. We go over what wasn’t working and what you want to focus on with the revamp.

We fill out our brand questionnaire that identifies your messaging, market, competitors and business goals that are then used to strategically design your new website AND help you rank organically in your search engine.

WHAT IF I CAN’T GET THIS INFO

Salvaging as much information as possible will save you from further investment and is why it’s important for designers to equip clients with ALL the information. We equip all of our clients with basic editing skills and co-maintenance access as part of our service. You shouldn’t be left in the lurch once the design is complete.

By having access to your current website and domain via logins, we can do a lot of heavy lifting without having to re-invest. However, if we can’t access the current website’s editing platform and are unsure how to retrieve our domain - this is where it can be complex.

Without access to your old website:

• We have to start from scratch by crossing over to another platform. This means a new subscription and any other costs associated with switching over.
  
  You can plan for this by understanding when your old subscription runs out and make a smooth transition once it finishes. Without access it can be hard to stop subscriptions rolling over that you are no longer using.

Without access to your domain:

• We won’t be able to move or redirect your loved URL to a new website. This one is usually the biggest hit as business owners will have placed this URL on a lot of their paid marketing, print, social etc. Not having access means we choose a new domain which is different from the one on your current marketing.
  
  You can keep the old domain until you refresh your marketing and redirect anyone who visits to the brand new website and domain. This just takes time and can create a little bit of confusion amongst your clients and audience. However, the more domains you own work in your favour at the end of the day.

Without website files and assets:

• You will need to capture new content that can’t be salvaged from the old website. Not the end of the world and can inspire businesses to take a new direction and refresh thier whole look and feel.
  
  You can add photography and video capture by us to any web package for a discount!

STILL NEED A HAND?

Reach out to us and we can organise a more in-depth chat to explain these principles and even help liaise with your current web designer or developer. We’ll take care of the details while you plan for a brand new website launch.

ENQUIRE BELOW FOR AVAILABILITY

HOW TO: CHOOSE YOUR DESIGNER

Brilliant design not only comes from experience and creativity level, but an understanding of deeper working relationships between clients and designers. We have narrowed it down to our top 5 things you should consider when shopping for your next designer, photographer or creative professional.

PROFESSIONAL CHEMISTRY

Noting the importance we put on chemistry in our personal lives, it’s a wonder that business owners don’t follow the same rule in business. Perhaps because chemistry is immeasurable and difficult to align against a monetary goal. However, having chemistry in a professional setting ensures that you’re conducting business with someone you like, know and trust. At MONOCROW, we set an initial meeting either in-person or over zoom to discuss your project and see if we’d be a good fit as your designers.

Design outcomes often suffer without professional chemistry. The chemistry in working relationships is what sets the foundation for trust and allows designers to anticipate and execute the correct creative choices or strategies that align with you, your brand and its goals.

UNDERSTANDING of CLIENT NEEDS

Designers who formulate a deeper understanding of their client’s needs will result in overall better design outcomes. It is integral that your designer gains an understanding of not only the business in question but the individual or group that created it. Why? Because the client knows their industry the best. It is our job as your designer, to listen.

Your designer must be able to discern and understand what your needs are, who your audience or market is, and the project constraints (time, budget, materials, requirements).

TRACK RECORD OR SOCIAL PROOF

Social proof is one of the quickest way to assess your designer’s reputation. Some agencies have ways to create social proof that may be misleading or portray a particular image they wish to sell. So how do we find authentic social proof? Here are a few tips:

1. Google Reviews - Google is heavily monitored and reviews regulated to maintain authenticity. It creates a space that is free from bias and allows for honest feedback amongst businesses. This can be a good gauge on the public opinion of a designer as well as how they respond to feedback that is given.

2. Social Profiles - You can gather a lot of information from social profiles by just knowing what exactly to look for:

Follower Count - Does not directly mean a business with customers. Instead, note who engages with the profile, what content the brand is tagged in and if they collaborate with other brands and business in a positive and ethical way.

Design Brief or Design Work? - You can tell if your designer has worked with a business as opposed to working on a design brief (or passion project) by checking the post’s tags. Designer’s with legitimate turnover will post a range of projects and be inclined to tag and share from those they work with. This implies a real working relationship is present and a reputable portfolio of work.

Passion projects or Instagram ‘Designer Briefs’ are when a profile posts a creative brief for designers and artists to interpret. Designer’s may use these briefs to display creativity and showcase their skills which is a great way to see the level of your designer’s creativity. However, if they only post this kind of work, it means they may not be servicing many (or any) - real business.

3. Referral and Word of Mouth - Seen as the most reliable form of social proof. What do clients who have worked with this designer say about them? What was their experience like?

Overall, ask questions about and research their previous work to better understand how the designer can benefit you and your business.

PROCESS AND FEE STRUCTURE

Different design studios have different design processes. They vary in degree of formality, documentation and account management. It’s best to select a designer with an approach that suits you and your company. A designer’s process and fee structure will communicate the way they conduct business and in what manner.

At MONOCROW, we provide a breakdown of your project costs and provide flexible payment options to allow for varying budget types. We believe all business should have access to quality design, no matter if they are established or still in infancy.

Asking your designer how their fees are structured allows you to budget for other projects as they arise.

VALUE FOR MONEY

It’s the age-old saying but it still rings true. You get what you pay for.

It is unreasonable to expect high budget results if you have a lower scale budget. Conversely, if it is a major project with a larger budget, you will want to be sure that your designer thoroughly understands and can handle the requirements of these kinds of projects and/or workloads.

It should also be said that the final result, artwork or finished product - is never the only value. A designer’s time, level of expertise, attention to detail, ethics, reputation, creative style, exclusivity or influence and approach should all be seen as added value.

Our value is in the extra mile.
Discover why we are rated 5 stars on Google Reviews.

REFERENCE ARTICLE
https://agda.com.au/find-a-designer/how-to-find-a-designer