Business Website Checklist | DotGO Business Website Design

Our design team follow a process we call The DotGO Way - it's robust enough to cover everything we need to build your business website accurately.

However, the more inspiration you can provide your web designer and content writer with, the shorter the process between the initial phone call and your site launching will be.

More is better - Your designer and content writer would rather pick and choose the best of the best from what you put in front of them instead of having to draw their own conclusions.

With this in mind, here's a quick checklist of material that will make our web building process easier, and will ultimately get you and your business off the ground faster.

Domain Name

Your website's domain is the www. bit -the address that people will use to find you and that you will proudly display on your business card.

Start thinking up ideas for your domain name, it might be your business name... it could be what you do and where you do it, it could be initials or an abbreviation.

Want to see if your domain name is available? Click here.

Some customers come to us with an existing domain. No problem, we can transfer this over to us to build your new website on.

Photos for your website

Your web designer has access to over 200 million royalty-free images via Adobe Stock, with photos for just about every conceivable business model. It's a wellspring of high-quality images - and as part of your design package we will licence as many images as you need... so why not start choosing your favourites now?

https://stock.adobe.com/uk/

Want to use your own? Great!

For tradespeople, a simple photo of a branded van takes them from an online business to professionals with a physical presence and infrastructure.
For service-based businesses, a professional or even candid photo of you and your team turns you from names on a screen to people.
Do you want to sell your products in an online store? Start taking photos of your products - we even have a great guide on how to take the perfect product photos here.
For just about every possible business, before and after images make for one of the strongest forms of social proof out there.

List of Services

Over the years we've built websites and written content for the conventional and the unconventional.

Some products or services need little explanation or elaboration, some have a slightly different way of doings things, and once in a while we're approached by a business with an entirely new and novel business model.

Whether you're a personal trainer or a dog trainer, a costume designer or an interior designer, you know your business and how you run it better than anybody else. Every little detail, no matter how trivial it may be, helps us bring your business website to life.

Don't worry about writing website copy, we will do this for you - bullet points are enough for now!

Frequently Asked Questions: What do your customers ask you?

Your unique familiarity with your business extends to your customers – Only you know the questions your client base is likely to ask, depending on who they are and where you offer your services.

Remember, your customers will use your website to decide whether or not you're right for their needs.

Here are some FAQs to ask yourself and jot down a few answers ready for your website:

Do you offer consultations?
Will you travel?
How much do you charge?
What's your process?
What are your credentials?
What makes your business different?

Whatever information you can provide us with, your content writer will find a way to weave it into your content to answer questions and address objections.

Logos and Branding

Once again, this depends where you are in your business journey. Our designers are happy to put you together a bespoke logo if you're just starting out or going through a rebranding, but if your existing logo is a non-negotiable then this will form a cornerstone of the rest of the site.

When you provide us with your logo and branding off the bat, you're also providing our designers with a ‘feel' for how the rest of the website should come across.

Think of it less like a logo and more the spine, around which the rest of the design will fit around.

Reviews and Testimonials

You've worked hard for every good word and 5-star review your customers have put your way – Why wouldn't you put these on your website?

It's easier for us and better for your business if we're provided with these as early as possible, so we can organically work these throughout your site.

Don't have any? No problem - why not approach some of your recent customers and ask for some honest feedback.

Consider signing up to an aggregator service like TrustPilot or Checkatrade, these trusted platforms are great ways to get non-biased feedback and to display your reviews on your website.

Case Studies

Chances are that you have completed a job that you are very proud of - why not show it off?

Write down your experience, the before and after and the impact it had on you and your customer. This would make an amazing blog post on your new website.