Over the years I have met so many companies that want a website without really knowing what they want from it.

So I start off our relationship by going through a Fact Find. Among the first things I ask are:

• Why do you want a website?
• What do you want it to do?
• What are the targets that you will use to measure how well the site is performing?
• How will you calculate the return on your investment?

During the Fact Find I find out:

• who you are
• what you do or your business does
• what motivates you
• your aims and ambitions – both personal and business wise if appropriate.

I talk as an experienced business person not a techie or designer. The Fact Find aslo establishes some design parameters.

When I think I have a very deep understanding about what drives you and your business I am then able to express what I think your business needs from your website

Simple really.

Well, I think it is.

But I have been told by a lot of people that they have either talked to a designer who doesn’t understand business, or a techie who is mainly interested in function and gadgetry. So they have not felt that their business needs were taken into account.

I create a full project specification, based on my detailed Fact Find, setting out what your requirements are and how my solution will satisfy these. It forms the basis of my contract with you including all the costs. So we both know where we are and what we are doing.