At Onsharp, we know that it’s challenging to try to do everything solo, or with a small team (and on a tight budget). Having that knowledge brings a unique perspective to website development for our small business clients. Here are three key things to look for when you’re choosing a partner to help develop your small business website.
Look for a partner who’s willing to divide the work
Many of our clients don’t want to pay someone to do things they know they can do themselves. That’s why we make sure we understand how our clients want to work with us. One of the keys to making sure that happens with any website development project is to have a clear understanding of who is responsible for which aspects of the project. Whether you want to do as much as you can yourself, be completely hands-off and have us take care of the entire project, or fall somewhere in-between, we have a process designed to clearly define roles and responsibilities and get the project done quickly.
Look for a partner who’s willing to be part of your team
Being a part of your team means setting you up with the tools and skills you need to manage your site once it’s launched. This is why we choose easy-to-use tools and content management systems for our small website projects. It’s also why we provide our clients with training. Instead of doing it all for them, we’re here to coach them on the tools and information they need. We want our clients to feel prepared to take on and manage as much as they care to do.
Combining that perspective with our laser focus on efficiency keeps us dedicated to what’s important, and forces us to continue streamlining our processes. When we do small business websites, we approach them with the same sense of urgency as our clients. Our goal is always to deliver a beautiful product as efficiently as possible, so our clients can reap the rewards of their investment as soon as possible.
Look for a partner who’s willing to have tough conversations to meet your timeline and budget
One of the hardest parts about owning a small business is figuring out the best way to spend your money. The idea of developing a website from scratch just sounds expensive. Top that with all the horror stories you hear from people who thought they were getting a good deal, only to have their project go awry, and it becomes downright scary. But it doesn’t have to be.
Every time we estimate a project, we challenge our team to deliver as efficiently as possible. Sometimes that means having tough conversations with our clients about what does and doesn’t belong on a website, or what has to get cut from the first release to deliver on budget. Other times it’s a discussion about what the budget needs in order to be able to deliver the vision. Whatever the outcome, it’s always about delivering the best solution possible for our clients – on time and on budget.
Our favorite part about small business websites is that they can become a reality so quickly, when everyone knows their responsibilities and meets deadlines. If you’d like help quickly bringing your website idea to life or refreshing your existing site, let us know. We’d love to work with you to bring your vision to life.
This blog was written by Karn Jilek, previous Director of Operations at Onsharp, in May of 2015. Updates were made in December of 2016.Â
