You already know your website is a business investment – and a smart one at that! You may have hired a web designer or you may have decided to go the DIY route. It may cost you thousands for something completely custom or less than a hundred dollars to get up and running with a decent pre-made theme. Either way there are other costs involved in this precious investment of yours – and they can not be forgotten.

Domain

Your domain is the URL where your website lives, like www.scoutdesign-co.com. Typically a web address ends in .com but there are several other extensions to choose from (.org, .net, .co. .us, etc.) You absolutely, positively need to invest in a custom domain name. Without one you may as well have “amateur” tattooed to your forehead. It’s the easiest and cheapest way to come off as professional. It’s also a requirement for self-hosted WordPress sites. 

A domain is an annual cost and will run you $10-15 a year.

*I recommend setting up an auto payment so you don’t risk losing your custom domain. Once it expires, it’s up for grabs again! Namecheap is a great resource to your domain.

Hosting

A web host is like a landlord. They rent you the space you need to store all your website files. There are many different hosting companies to choose from and different levels of hosting offered. Generally, a small business doesn’t require much server space or any fancy features , so a cheaper hosting plan will work just fine. I recommend using SiteGround. They’re quick, affordable and have incredible customer service.

You can successfully host your website for $6-$12 a month.

*First timers receive a free domain for one year when purchasing a hosting plan!

Security + Maintenance

You may not consider yourself at risk of a website hack, but I would not skimp out when it comes to your site’s security. The best way to keep your site solid is to keep it well maintained. Make sure you’re always running the latest version of WordPress, check for plugin updates weekly, and always (always!) have a full backup of your site. Maintenance isn’t difficult to manage yourself, but it does require weekly attention so you may consider hiring help.

The security and maintenance of your site can cost from $0 – $40 a month.

*I offer a maintenance package to all of my clients for $40 a month.

Photography

This is a cost that can be easily overlooked. I can’t tell you enough how important your website photography is. (Actually I can. And I did, here.) The quality of your images, or lack thereof, can truly make or break your site’s design and limit its potential from the get go. You can spend nothing but your time if you take photos yourself or splurge on a professional photographer. A happy alternative to both is stock photography.

Stock photography will cost you $50-$150 once, upfront.

Check out Creative Market, iStock, or ShutterStock for high-quality stock images.

G Suite

This expense is definitely an optional one, but I had to mention it. G Suite (formally, Google Apps for Work) allows you to use your unique domain name in your email address. Like hello@scoutdesign-co.com. I recommend this because it comes off more professional and is especially helpful if you have a team working with you or want to separate different types of emails you may receive (inquiry, support, info, personal, etc.)

G Suite is only $5 a month per user.

And your subscription comes with it’s own Google account so you can have a separate Drive, Docs, Calendar or whatever associated with your business email. Cool!

The ongoing cost of your website depends on your needs and how much work you’re able to learn and do yourself. You can keep your site running like a well oiled machine for less than $200 a year if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and learn some maintenance basics. And there’s no shame in hiring some help if you’re not. For about $600 a year you’re off the hook and buy yourself some peace of mind.

You’ve just launched your new business. You want to share what you do and your passion with the world. You need a website! But you’re on a budget. So you decide to DIY. How hard can it really be, anyway?

Well….it took you a week to just decide which platform to use; you’ve spent countless hours trying to pick the perfect template or theme; stayed up past midnight researching what on earth SEO even is; and encountered one too many headaches trying to learn the basics of CSS. And your website still looks like everyone else’s. Or worse- looks like it was done by an amateur (no offense).

The time has come to ask for help and hire a professional. Wise choice. But know – by hiring a professional you are entering into a relationship with your designer. The two of you will be working together to create your dream website and the process is a two way street. You’re investing your hard earned cash into a beautiful, custom design and it can take a month or more before it’s complete. Don’t dive in just yet- make sure you’re ready to hire a web designer.

Vision

First of all, do you have a vision for your website? This is YOUR business and brand – so you know it better than anyone. You need to have a clear idea of what you want it to look like and where you would like it to go. Your designer’s job is to make your vision come to life, not to create your vision for you. So take some time and seriously think about your business. Why did you get into this work? Who is your target audience? What feelings do you want people to walk away with after visiting your site?

Think of your website as a valuable business asset. It’s your way to communicate with your target audience. It’s a platform to promote your services or sell your products. An effective website has the power to convert viewers into leads and leads into sales. But an effective website will require a strategy. Consider the main goal of your site. Is it to leave viewers informed? To collect an email address for your mailing list? To have someone contact you? It’s very important that you define the goal of your website before beginning the design process. With this intention made clear, your designer will be able to implement the right strategy to make it happen.

Branding

It’s a common misconception that your branding and your logo are one in the same. Sorry friends, but this is far from the truth. Your logo is one (important) component of your branding, but there’s much more to it than that. Branding is a complete, cohesive visual representation of your business. The colors, fonts and photos you use are all decisions that should be made with intention. These elements work together to create the “image” your audience sees and remembers so it’s important to stay consistent.

Think of your branding from the eyes of your audience. List 3-5 adjectives that clearly describe your business. Are these the same words that your audience would use to describe your business? Better yet, what words do you want them to use to describe how they feel about your business?

If your brand’s style and voice aren’t established before you begin the web design process, you risk missing out on a golden opportunity. Your website is like the poster child of your brand. It’s a perfect opportunity to let your audience know what you’re about and guide them into the feelings you want them to walk away with.

If you haven’t thought about branding before, take the time to do it now! Let your website lead the way and implement the choices you make elsewhere in your business.

Time

A custom website isn’t just a monetary investment; it’s an investment of your time as well. A typical web design project can take from 6-10 weeks. Make sure you set aside some hours each week to work with your designer. If you aren’t able to clear a high slot on your priority list, it may be best to wait for a time when you can before you go hiring a web designer.

There’s usually some homework on your end that needs to be completed before kick off. That’s right, you’ll have homework. I begin each project by sending my client a Branding and Planning Questionnaire. This is an incredible tool to help me get to know your business and understand how you’d like to represent it. It also allows me a sneak peek inside your brain so I start off in the right direction and create something you will truly enjoy and can be proud of. I send this questionnaire off a couple weeks before the design process begins so you have plenty of time to focus and think seriously about your answers.

You’ll also be responsible for providing clear and constructive feedback during the design process. Pre-commencement questionnaires can really help to guide your designer in the right direction, but that doesn’t mean they always hit the nail on the head the first go of it. Your feedback is essential to assuring they stay on the right track the rest of the way. Spend quality time on this too. Don’t take 5 minutes to answer an email with “Looks good!” or “I think it could be better”. Explain clearly why you like or don’t like the design. For example, “The layout is a little too crowded. I think a clean, minimal design is more suited to my brand” or “I love how you’ve used green as an accent color, it reinforces that my products are all-natural”.

It’s also extremely important that you stay on schedule when it comes to feedback. If your designer sets an expectation for a 48 hour turnaround time – get back to them within 48 hours. Missing due dates can screw up your designer’s schedule and potentially get your project pushed back.

Content

A web designer and a copywriter are not one in the same. Of course, I do not speak for all designers when I say this; but, I believe I speak for a whole lot of them. It will generally be a requirement that you have the content for your site prepared before the design process begins. The amount of content on each page of your web site could determine the page’s layout or other design elements. Using dummy text in the design mockup is an option, but having the actual content that you plan on using will always be preferred. This will prevent any last minute design changes and give you a more accurate picture of what your site will look like live.

Since this is your business and you know it like the back of your hand, I personally believe your website’s content is best written by you. What is it your audience wants to know? Tell them! Think this through carefully and organize your thoughts. Write your content in an outline form if that helps. For example, if you have different types of services that you offer. Is there enough information and detail for each service to have its own page? Or can you list them all on one page? Do you want to describe each service in a list or paragraph format? Perhaps your About page will have one section about you personally and one about the business as a whole. Maybe you want to to introduce your team on the About page as well.

Be sure to consider your tone and language when writing your content as well. The way you speak to your audience is an extension of your brand. Write to your audience as if you’re talking right to them. Be yourself. Be personable, yet professional. If you struggle with writing content you may want to look into hiring a copy writer.

Photography

I’ve written about the importance of good site photography before, right here. High quality images will work wonders for your web site because they make you look professional and aid in maintaining a consistent brand image. And they open doors for you in the world of web design options. Just like your content, your site’s photography should be prepared before starting the design process.

If you don’t have any images, consult with your designer on what style of photography would work best for your business and brand. They can offer tips for taking your own photos, references for professional photographers or recommendations where to look for stock images.

Patience

The web design process is just that – a process. Don’t rush it. Take the time to answer questions thoroughly and give thoughtful, detailed feedback. Communication is key. Understand that your designer is not a mind reader and try not to get frustrated if they don’t get it perfect the first or second time. Respect your designer’s experience and expertise and genuinely take their advice into consideration before squashing their ideas. This process is a joint effort and at the end of the day you and your designer both want the same thing – a killer website that you can be proud of.

So much goes into creating a drool-worthy website. It’s important you hire a web designer who understands your vision and can bring your dream to life. You leave them in charge of some pretty big decisions. But there’s an aspect of your website you can’t hold your designer responsible for. One very important thing you need to take care of first (and trust me they will love you for it!). And that’s your website images.

The images on your website can make or break your site’s design, no matter how talented your designer is. By getting on the ball with high-quality photos you’ll be doing yourself and your business some serious favors.

You’ll look like a professional.

It takes mere seconds to develop a first impression of someone, and your website is no different. Your website is a powerful tool in creating the “image” you would like your business to portray. Fuzzy photos in poor lighting don’t exactly give off a professional vibe – they scream amaturer. Would you buy a product or service from an amatuer? Then you can’t expect others to either. A sharp, bright, styled headshot will help you gain more trust from your audience than a selfie on your couch ever could. It’s not difficult to tell the difference between genuine effort and simply winging it when it comes to photography. Intentional photos with direction and purpose will have you looking like a pro.

You’ll maintain a consistent brand.

Good branding is vital to the life of your business. And the number one component to good branding is consistency. Consumers are much more visual than they’ve ever been. With social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, photos are a must have for your business and your brand. Your website photos are a perfect opportunity to hone in on that “image” of yours. Consistent brand photos require more than just a common subject matter. There’s things like composition, lighting, contrast, and temperature to consider. Say you run a luxury spa resort. You want well lit photos with cool pastel colors and a neat, clean balance to them. Or maybe you’re a rustic, hipster coffee shop in Downtown. So you want a warmer, darker, more textured tone to your images. Maybe have fun with asymmetrical layouts and cropping off-center. Use your images to develop consistency, become recognizable and attract your ideal customer.

Your website dreams are more likely to come true.

There’s no way you can hand your designer small, dark, pixelated pictures and expect the gorgeous full width image slider you’ve been jonesing for. It’s not going to happen. Your web designer is probably a genius, but they’re not a magician. You’re investing hard earned cash into your website with the end goal to attract customers and make money. I’m sure you have a high standard in mind, especially with all the website candy out there inspiring you. The better your images the more your designer has to work with and the more potential greatness your website will have.

A huge trend in web design right now is large imagery as backgrounds. And it’s beautiful. Check out the sites for Polite Provisions or Just Bean. Effective use of good photos can take your site’s design to the next level and your business along with it.  And if you’re selling a product of any kind, you better bet you need to pay attention to photography. Check out apple.com for example. Stunning, right? I bet you want some high-quality photos now- and probably an Apple Watch.

Keys to a High Quality Photo

So how exactly do you know if your images are up to par? There are a few key factors to keep in mind when choosing or taking pictures for your site.

Resolution

Resolution refers to the number of pixels in an image. The more pixels your photo has the higher its “quality”. More pixels make for sharper, more defined and more detailed images. This also means you can increase the size of the photo without it loosing any of its quality and becoming blurry or distorted. Resolution can be measured by the size of the original image or by its DPI. The ideal resolution for web imagery is 72 dpi. (For prints, it’s 300 dpi.)

Lighting

Just as important as resolution is good lighting. Lighting obviously will make your image brighter or darker but it also controls the tone and mood of your shots and can affect the colors and luminosity. Although your designer can probably manipulate lighting effects with Photoshop or other editing tools, it’s a good idea to present them with well lit photos. The better shape your images are in initially, the better they can become with effects. Natural light is by far the best, but artificial lighting can do the trick if you’re using bright white bulbs.

Composition

Composition is the placement of objects and elements in an image. The composition of your photos should be interesting and intentional. Keep in mind the Rule of Thirds, a common rule of thumb with photographers. Instead of centering your subject, try aligning it to one side. Also consider the background of your image and the balance of colors, patterns, and textures. Try different techniques with framing and angels. Cropping can be a powerful way to help focus on your main subject. An overhead angle (like in the oh so popular flatlay) can add a different point of view and interest to the shot.

Aspect Ratio (Size)

Aspect ratio is the size relationship of your image in reference to length and width. An aspect ratio of 1:1 is a square image while an aspect ratio of 16:9 would be more short and wide. This is important to keep in mind when deciding what images you want to use where. Like that gorgeous full width image slider you can’t live without. It’s not going to work with square images. And it’s not going to work with portrait shots. You’re going to need something that is much wider than it is tall, like a 16:9. The actual aspect ratio of your images isn’t really important as long as you understand that sizing and orientation make a difference on how your photos can be used. Best practice: give your designer as many images as you can in various sizes so they have more room to work with.

How to Get High Quality Images

So how do you get your hands of some high-quality photos?

Take them yourself.

You do not need fancy equipment and software to be a decent photographer. Your iPhone camera will work perfectly. Brainstorm ideas for images that will work for your brand and your site and go experiment! Remember to take shots in a naturally, well lit location and consider composition. You can even play around with some editing effects in an easy to use, free app like VSCO or Google Photos if you’re feeling brave.

Hire a Photographer.

This is the most expensive option, but a professional photographer will be well worth the cost. By hiring a photographer you’re guaranteed a high-quality outcome. They can help you in your direction and intention and even come up with some bright ideas you never thought of.

Stock Photography.

Stock photography can be a great option in certain cases. The downside is your images aren’t personal to you and your business – but that’s not always a bad thing. I wouldn’t recommend sticking a stock photo of some rando on your About Me page (that might be identity theft), but if you’re looking more to capture the essence of an industry or a style or a mood then stock photography is an excellent and affordable option.

iStock and Shutterstock each have millions of photos in a ton of different categories and industries. Images range from $10-$30 each and are yours forever. Creative Market is another fabulous resource for stock images. They tend to fall in the same price range but cater to a more creative audience. If you’re looking for styled layouts and flatlays, this is your place. There’s even some free options in the stock photography realm. Sites like Unsplash (my favorite!), IMFree, and Death to the Stock Photo are some great resources.

If you want a killer website, you need high-quality photos. Talk to your designer and collaborate to determine what will work best for your site. Whether it’s your time or money, site photography is an investment you won’t regret.