There is a simple three-step plan to keep in mind during this process that will help to make the things run more smoothly. So let's start with step one:

STEP 1: HAVE IMPORTANT INFORMATION READY.

For many people, hosting is by far the most confusing aspect of your site. Things like FTP and cPanel logins, and even more obscure information such as hosting or registrar account information, are not things that most people have on hand. Unfortunately, some of these key pieces of information will be the first thing that a developer needs to know in order to make any major changes to your site.

Along with this information, knowing what version of key software your site is running on is also important to the process when you're looking to launch, redesign, or update your website. Knowing things like your PHP and MySQL version, and what OS your server is running on, is key for certain types of development like WordPress and Drupal. But, while knowing where this information is and how to access it is one thing, most of these account details are not something that you want to give willingly to anyone who asks for it.

Where possible, adding accounts separate from your super user account is highly advised. This seems like a lot and, in many cases, you will not need most of this information. The two most important pieces of information to have on hand at the beginning of a project are the FTP and cPanel logins. These logins will give the development team enough to get started making backups of your site and, for most projects, will be enough access to complete the job.

STEP 2: HAVE A VISION.

The design phase of a website consists of three parts: discovery, drafting, and revisions. By having a clear vision of what you want your site to do and how you want it to look, this process can be reduced from weeks to days. http://bit.ly/2jEZzzc

But to clarify, when I say you should have a vision, I don’t mean you should have a crystal-clear picture in your head of what the site looks like and how it functions, but rather know what key things you want on a site before entering into the official discovery meeting.

If you are 100% sure that you want a video background header on your site and that you also want call-to-action buttons for your products below that, the designer should already have some layout ideas based off that information alone. Also, providing sites that you find appealing, as well as the reasons why you find those sites appealing, will greatly help in the overall design process.

STEP 3. MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION.

By far the most important thing in the site redesign or updating process is communication. Let’s start by saying that we all have busy lives and things come up that will get in the way of focusing 100% on your site – and that’s ok. But, while it may seem trivial, the faster you respond to an email asking a question about your site, the faster it can be fixed.

Sites can be delayed for weeks, sometimes months, because of poor communication. Good communication not only ensures that the project is done in a timely manner, but it also keeps both sides informed about the status of the project overall.

By sticking to these guidelines, life will be much easier when it comes time to redesign or update your website. And, if you are in the market for a site redesign, refresh, or a totally new web project, and need a team that has a ton of experience in doing this, then reach out to us at http://bit.ly/2jFyg7V

For more tips on web design and digital marketing, visit http://bit.ly/2jFyaNB and subscribe to our eNewsletter.

Don't forget to follow THAT Agency on social media at:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thatagency/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thatagency/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/THAT_Agency
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/that