I look at the web design industry and I am astounded at the low priced packages some professionals offer and what people think will be vehicles to their success. Here’s what I think are requirements for any good website, in addition to what most web companies offer in their packages.

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization): ok so you had your website professionally built, but can anyone find it? No? So you’re not really maximizing your investment, if not throwing it away all together, unless you are an established business with lots of existing traffic.

2. Copywriting: For some reason, almost all web packages don’t include this, which is not a good thing. Why would you want to be responsible to find this on your own? Are you planning not to write anything on your website? Or are you a professional writer with years of experience? Hmmmm…

3. Professional Photography: Do you have some photos that put you in your best light already? What about photos of your staff? Are you planning on going to Walmart and getting this done? Do those people understand your needs with regards to your site? I would say that almost every website project is going to need this.

4. User Personas/ Market Research: Have you conducted thorough analysis of your clients and created user personas? ( If you don’t know what that is please Google it). Taking this step ensures that you are building your site to serve your customers and prospective clients, in a way that suits their needs. If you don’t, it’s not certain that your site will be as effective if at all effective in serving your customers ; you want to serve your customers right?

Do you need help with your new website?