3 AREAS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN EMBARKING ON A NEW WEBSITE JOURNEY
Knowing you need a website and knowing where to start are two very different things and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Whether you’re starting from scratch or thinking about having a refresh here are 3 areas you need to consider when briefing your design and development team. Building a good property development website.
BEAUTY OVER FUNCTIONALITY
Most of our clients come to us with an idea of what they’d like their new website to look like and they will also most likely have a list of a few things that their website absolutely needs to do in order to serve their customers effectively. Often, we find that that’s not enough!
Whilst you of course want your website to look beautiful and engage with your users on an aesthetic level you also (ultimately!), need it to convert leads. What is the real goal of your website? To collect data? Book meetings? Or, is it simply to showcase your work to generate enquiries? Whatever the ultimate goal of your website you need to ensure you fulfill that requirement in as few, easy steps as possible.
So, whilst having a beautiful (and legible!) website is very important, there is no point having it if it doesn’t give your potential customers what they are looking for quickly.
Our client, Ride Developments SW, needed a website that showcased their portfolio of projects in a way that demonstrated their expertise whilst showing their values and human-side. Beautiful branding and imagery was key in ensuring their site reflected their high quality work but it was also key to make sure customers could easily find the different branches of their business.
Client example: Ride Developments
BUDGET REALISM
Your website is your shop window, and just like a shop window, the more you have in it the more it’s going to cost. For example, you may well be able to display your items (or in most cases services), effectively but how do you ensure people:
Interact with them in the way you want them to
Continue to nurture them even after they’ve left your website
Integrating your website with software like Mailchimp, Hubspot or even your socials are essential for most businesses but it can be surprising when you receive a quote and all those extra bits have added up to quite a large sum! If you’re focussing on a smaller budget, make sure you are realistic about what your website will be able to achieve and be really targeted with your messaging. Equally, if you have a larger budget and more requirements, ensure you partner with an agency that can deliver what you need and guide you on how best to spend it!
Our client, Penarvor, were looking for a standout contemporary website that kept on-trend with video but also showcased the extraordinary landscape of Devon, where the development is housed. We kept the design really focussed and technically functional whilst keeping the project within a realistic budget.
Client example: The Penarvor
RESOURCE RESILIENCE
It’s really useful, before you embark on any web project to collate all of your current assets and resources and, if you don’t have those yet then it’s a good time to start thinking about what you might need. For example, do you need a photographer to take some nice brand shots? Or, have you considered the CGIs you might need?
If you’re starting from scratch it’s always helpful to have a few examples of websites you like, and websites you don’t – this will help your web design agency get to know you and your personality as well as understand your thinking behind certain functionalities. If you’re giving a current website a refresh, it’s a good idea to know which assets on the current site you are happy to lose and if there are any that absolutely must stay. Does your brand also need a new look to reflect your new online presence?
Tide Water Homes, needed a new website to market their new development, Horndon Field which consists of 5 luxury homes including 2 house types. The site needed an array of assets including a virtual tour, multiple CGIs and a contact form that then integrated with their email marketing platform to send out their brochure. We created an aesthetically pleasing website that housed all of their marketing materials simply.
Client example: Tidewater Homes
With all that said, it’s your web design and development agency to help guide you through the process and ensure you feel comfortable, knowledgeable and supported every step of the way!