Five questions to answer before you pay for a business website
, by SulPhil Tech Hub
A website is one of the most common things businesses ask us for, and one of the easiest to get wrong. The problem is rarely the design. It's that nobody decided, up front, what the site is for.
Before you pay anyone, including us, write down answers to these five questions.
1. What should a visitor do?
Pick one main action: call you, send a WhatsApp message, request a quote, book an appointment or buy a product. Every page should lead there. A site that tries to do everything usually does nothing.
2. Who will update it?
If only the developer can change a price or add a photo, your site will be out of date within three months. Ask for a site you or your staff can edit, and ask for a short training session at handover.
3. Who owns the domain and hosting?
Your domain name (yourcompany.com or .ng) and hosting account should be registered in your company's name, with login details you hold. We've seen too many businesses lose their website because a former developer controlled the account.
4. How will people find it?
A website nobody visits is an expensive business card. Plan for a Google Business Profile, basic search engine setup, and links from your social media and WhatsApp status.
5. What does success look like in six months?
"More customers" is not measurable. "Twenty quote requests a month from the website" is. Decide the number now so you can check whether the investment worked.
A simple rule
If a provider gives you a price without asking at least some of these questions, ask them why. A good partner wants to understand your business before building for it.