Over my 26 years of public relations work, I have held several ‘lone wolf’ positions for organizations ranging from 8 people to nearly 2,000. These jobs are a particular kind of demanding, but very rewarding too. Rise to the challenge and you can stretch and grow as a communications professional in ways that will propel your career.

Here’s my take on how to thrive:

Balance Those Endless Priorities

When you’re running solo, if you’re not working on a task you know nothing is happening with it in the meantime. It’s a constant, niggling stress in the back of your mind and it takes some getting used to. The immediate needs, requests, and emergencies of the day can quickly take all your time, and sometimes that is just how it plays out.

Ideally, however, try to save room in your work schedule to regularly spend time on mid- and long-term projects in addition to putting out fires and day to day work. These projects tend to be infrastructure investments such as improving the quality/functionality of a website, developing conference displays or promotional videos, creating branded social media templates, etc. You benefit from a robust infrastructure because well thought out assets will be there when you need them in the future. You are already prepared to quickly respond to requests for professional products. In short, your work life gets much more comfortable.

Time management challenges us all, but it can be especially stressful for solo workers who are getting pulled in many directions at once. For me, mid-day tends to be a great time to work on my longer-term projects. When not inundated with meetings, I try to approach my days as follows:

30 minutes - Email. Identify any high priority fires that need to be addressed.

30 minutes – Review of social media accounts. Schedule any tweets or posts. Engage with your social media community.

2 hours – Highest priority short-term projects.

15 minutes – Email

15 minutes – Social media account check-in.

2 hours – Long-term projects

1.5 hours – Highest priority short-term projects.

30 minutes – Check in on freelancer/contractor projects so that I am not a bottleneck keeping things from moving forward.

15 minutes – Email

15 minutes – Social media account check-in.

Consult with Your Community

You may be a one-person shop, but you are not shipwrecked on an island. You need communications colleagues to listen to your ideas and plans, and to give constructive feedback. You will find it easier to try new approaches and take risks with the benefit of second opinions.

There are many sources to draw on as you build your support community. Consider LinkedIn, professional society forums, colleagues from other units in your company, and so on. Or, create a communicators networking group within your company. Be sure to develop two-way relationships and offer the same peer mentoring and support in return.

I also suggest getting a personal career mentor. Find a more experienced person, or several individuals, who have the career experience to help you shape your own path.

Create Real Relationships with Contractors and Freelancers

If you can get the resources, you may have the opportunity to hire freelancers, web and graphics designers, videographers, and others. Approach these scope-specific hires with the goal of creating long-term relationships. Invest in these individuals and in the future, they will be more motivated to work you in when their schedules are tight.

Put time into ‘onboarding’ contract service providers well to make the experience as productive, efficient and pleasant as possible—for both sides. Check out AQUENT’S article In the Gig Economy, How to Access, Attract, and Retain Great Freelance Talent.

Don’t Ignore Your Weak Spots

Solo comms practitioners need to be “functionally literate” in all aspects of communications. If there is an area where your knowledge and skill base is light, dig in and learn more. It is tempting to bury your head in the sand and focus on what you already do well. Trouble is, at some point, one of your customers will ask for a communications product that you’re not prepared to create. I guarantee it.

Commit to continuously upskilling. Not only does it make your life easier, it's the best investment you can make in your career. Learning new skills at your own pace is a better plan than the stress of frantically scrambling to meet a deadline as you learn on the fly.

If you're just starting out in a single communications practitioner role, I hope these tips (based on hard-won experience) are helpful. Feel free to reach out with questions. And do let me know if I have missed anything. Share your experiences in the comments below.

Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels

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]]>PR Careers: Learning to Thrive When It’s All on YouWEB DEVELOPMENTSTRATEGIC PLANNINGSMALL BUSINESSDeborah HillWed, 25 Apr 2018 15:07:10 +0000https://www.dhillcommunications.com/blog/2018/4/25/avoid-web-project-stall-with-psychology5aab0ceeec4eb7cb61f2121e:5ab95e53352f532f3df33157:5ae080dc758d461f5dc2ce1fIf you have ever struggled to get a client to sign off on a website design and content strategy, you know how maddening it is to see a project seemingly go off the rails. Despite your thorough research of the client’s business needs and spot on recommendations, sometimes discussions can inexplicably stall out at decision moments. Don’t panic just yet. The standstill doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve missed the mark—but it may be a signal that you need to retool how to frame your recommendations.

To effectively make your case, it helps to recognize the learning styles, personality types, and decision making styles of each client team member. Such characteristics are your clues to each person’s preference for certain types of information, and their approach to weighing alternatives and potential solutions. Understanding these preferences allows you to increase engagement with your project and more smoothly navigate decision milestones.

Train yourself to consciously learn your client’s “information processing profile” as you come up to speed on the company during the research phase of the website project. This insight pays off big, particularly if you are working with a large group of stakeholders. Over time, this kind of observational work will become second nature to you.  

Humans are complex creatures not easily pigeonholed into behavior categories, but in my own web development work, I repeatedly see a handful of dominant characteristics in my web clients. I want to share my informal “character profiles,” and what works for me during web projects. To be sure, these are exaggerated, highly generalized amalgamations of learning, personality and decision-making styles, but you get the idea.

The “Analyst”

Analyst Profile: Analysts like data and facts and tend to be very comfortable with numerical/financial datasets. They are not afraid to make decisions when (in their view) a “critical mass” of evidence is presented. Analysts are very comfortable with “what has always worked in the past,” and can initially resist new approaches. They will challenge opinions, not out of disrespect, but out of their genuine need to understand the evidence basis of the opinion. Analysts can become impatient with discussion on issues they do not feel are important to the project, or which do not have black or white solutions. But, they can be great proponents of change once they buy into an approach.

What Works Well: When presented with new ideas or approaches, Analysts need to see the proof. They also tend to be willing to invest in reading/research on their own to come up to speed. Use that to your advantage and share resources ahead of decision-oriented discussions.

• Walk Analysts through user data for their existing site (if you haven’t already done so), to help them understand typical user behavior, what content users seek, where users spend time on the site (or don’t), etc. Small businesses may not have analytics installed on their sites, which you’ll undoubtedly be rectifying. In which case, bring your Analysts up to speed on their options. I like RazorSocial’s Understanding Google Analytics article as a high-level starting point for engaging clients with Google Analytics. Check out other options for web analytics on DynoMapper.
• Explain W3 web accessibility best practices as it relates to your design recommendations.
• Research web best practices for the client’s specific business industry and company size and include that data in your design recommendation rationale.

The “Artist”

Artist Profile: Artists care deeply about the visual aesthetics of the website and recognize the power of great design. They tend to know what business competitor sites look like and have strong ideas about images, color schemes, fonts and layouts. Artists may or may not appreciate the differences in best practices for information on the web versus in print. They want to see a “beautiful” design that has emotional impact with users. As a result, Artists can feel off put or nonplussed by design features that are functionally effective, such as a large boldly colored call-to-action button. Artists can serve as important counter balances to more process-focused team members.

What Works Well: Invest in the Artist’s understanding of how users engage with content on the web.

• Walk the Artist through best practices for how and where to present information on web pages. As a starting point, consider Usability.gov’s Writing for the Web guidelines.
• If the company does not already have a color scheme, engage the Artist with the psychology of color theory to get buy in for your recommended color palette options. (Or to explain your choice of a color for that pesky call-to-action button.) ColourLovers offers a concise summary of color theory for easy consumption, but I also like UX Planet’s Color Theory: Brief Guide for Designers.
• Plan to invest some time discussing best practices in web design with your Artist. Check out Conversion XL’s universal web design principles as a great starting point. 

The “Sensate”

(I couldn’t resist alluding to Netflix’s Sense8 series. Love that show!)

Sensate Profile: The Sensate cares about making things as easy as possible for the customer. Their lens is always the customer perspective. Sensates can be great sources of real user stories that help you build user-focused website functionality. Be aware, though, Sensates often engage more quietly (unlike Analysts) and may not speak up unless prompted or in one-on-one conversations. Their observations on company products, processes, customer service and service recovery are invaluable pieces of intel. Sensates often work on the front line of customer interactions.

What Works Well: Help Sensates see how the proposed website organization and functionality meets the needs of customers.

• Make user story examples part of your presentations, and demo customer “tasks.” Ask Sensates for validation and suggestions.
• Use testing services to gain deeper insight into the customer demographic and validate website functionality. Share the results with Sensate stakeholders and the broader team. Video clips of users successfully navigating the website are powerful. Usertesting.com is a service I have used several times, but there are many others. It’s quite fascinating and sometimes humbling to watch a user test video.

The “Modernist”

The Modernist Profile: In my work in Higher Ed, the Modernist comes in two forms: a distinctly younger employee who grew up using computers, technology and social media; or an employee who, as a parent or front-line customer support, actively witnesses generational differences in information, web and social media engagement. These individuals push for social engagement with customers. Young Modernists may not have enough company tenure, social clout or presence to champion significant changes. Older Modernists understand that a younger customer demographic has different expectations than older customers—but may not be able to articulate appropriate next steps in addressing those differences. 

What Works Well: Address customer engagement needs as early as possible, and plan for a transitioning customer base.

• Give the Modernist some cover by developing archetypal customer profiles (if the client hasn’t already done so). Share customer profiles with decision makers early on in project discussions and refer to these profiles often. This helps the entire web team clearly grasp who their customers are today. Paired with the company’s business goals, such information will naturally highlight pain points in the customer service interface. This can lead to very productive conversations and problem solving where Modernists contribute valuable insight. (Plus, they are likely to get back up from Sensate colleagues who are in sync with customer expectations.) The Pew Research Center’s February 2018 Fact Sheets on Social Media, Internet and Mobile technology engagement are useful tools in helping client teams understand online technology use across a range of demographics.
• Website user testing is always helpful, but especially so as you address different audience needs. Testing will stress or validate your design and functionality decisions and help to refine the site.

Armed with an understanding of your client’s dominant engagement styles, you can adapt your processes and presentations to effectively address stakeholder concerns. This, in turn, helps keep projects on track through key decision milestones. And, you look like the expert you are!

I hope this article stimulates ideas for strategies in your own area of web development. I want to know what has worked for you. How do you manage client relationships and customer team dynamics?  Share your comments below or message me directly.

Photo credit: AScherbatsy via Creative Commons.

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Deborah Hill is an anthropologist and communications strategist who blogs about the ways humans and businesses interact. Her professional work has included science writing and developing communications strategies for Higher Ed departments and schools across the fields of arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences. Her consulting work supports the development of small businesses.

Businesses naturally focus energy externally on customers and products, but companies also need to look inward and nurture staff at all levels. Internal communication fosters a sense of shared identity among workers, and that translates into employee engagement and loyalty.

To reap benefits for the business’ bottom line, internal communication needs to deliver messages and content that matter to your workforce. Here are three best practices and three practices to avoid as you move forward.

Best Practices

Be honest, transparent and consistent

Like a marriage, the employer/employee relationship needs intentional care and feeding. Actively connecting your workforce to the company's vision, direction, challenges and successes pays off in staff retention. Each quality employee who walks out the door is a lost investment and source of intellectual vitality for your business. Add in the cost of decreased productivity while you hire and train new staff and the expenses tally up fast. For small companies, employee turnover packs an even bigger punch. It is more cost effective to develop the workforce you have than to hire a new one.

Know your audience and tailor your messages

Approach your workforce with the same marketing savvy you use with customers. Your company likely includes different “populations” of employees, naturally segmented by job responsibilities or product areas, etc. But, you should also be attuned to generational differences. For example, CNN Money reports that Millennials seek ongoing work feedback, access to and transparency from management, and flexibility in work hours and location. Glassdoor notes that GenXers tend to prioritize job security and fast advancement. Baby Boomers, according to HR Magazine, are aligned with Millennials in a desire for work flexibility, as this group contemplates staggered retirement strategies.

Use a combination of communications tactics

Internal communications can take many forms and use many of the same tools as for external outreach. Strategies could include face-to-face opportunities for briefings and Q&A; email outreach; visual aids such as posters, video screen employee-focused 'ads;' and social media tools. The dialogue also needs to be two-way so that employees can safely share suggestions, feedback and concerns. Your business will directly benefit.

Three Thou Shalt Nots

Never let employees learn about big company changes through the news media

Always give employees advance notice—even if just letting staff know a big announcement is about to break and there will be internal communication immediately afterwards. Feeling deceived or ignored by management destroys workforce trust and encourages staff turnover. It is much harder to earn trust back than to safeguard it in the first place.

Silence is NOT a viable strategy

Management silence opens the door for rumors, misinformation, employee anxiety and passive aggressive behavior. In fact, silence can be perceived as arrogance, a lack of caring, and a lack of appreciation for and understanding of what employees do on behalf of the business. It kills creativity and motivation. Management needs to show staff their work is valued and how it contributes to company success. Employees will appreciate the context and be more likely to suggest ways to be even more productive and efficient. 

Don’t prize schedule over substance

Employee outreach should be driven by compelling content and timely news—not an arbitrary date on the calendar. Don’t push out filler content. Communications should always deliver information employees will value. It is more than okay for outreach to be on an “as needed” basis. That said, the employee outreach team and management must intentionally and continuously monitor the pulse of the workforce and report on company changes. 

I hope this article is inspiration for internal communications planning and implementation at your business. Reach out if you need help!

Share your own thoughts and experience with developing internal communications programs, what worked well and what didn't.

Photo courtesy of Justin Hall, Creative Commons.

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Deborah Hill is an anthropologist and communications strategist who blogs about the ways humans and businesses interact. Her professional work has included science writing and developing communications strategies for Higher Ed departments and schools across the fields of arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences. Her consulting work supports the development of small businesses.

Whether you work with clients as an independent contractor, as a paid staff instructor at a gym, or even as a corporate trainer for a company promoting healthy employee lifestyles—it makes good sense to invest in and maintain your professional profile. After all, trainers commonly bounce from work as an independent coach to staff employee and back several times over the course of a career. That flexibility is one of the perks of the business. As of March 29, 2018, Salary.com reports the median annual personal trainer salary is $58,407, with a range usually between $42,155 to $71,759.

Below, I frame one strategy for a fitness blog that would work for any sport. 

Use Layman’s Language for the Blog Headline

Don’t turn people off with a title that is full of sports jargon. For example, an article about building climbing endurance might be titled something like: Why You Poop Out at the Crag. Being a little cheeky or fun will ensure the blog gets read.

Break Up Your Text with Subheads

Use subheads to break up the blog text. This is how people prefer to see online information presented. Big chunks of text make people sigh and wander away to something easier. With subheads, readers can quickly scan the article and see what you have to offer.

A benefit to you as the author is that the blog article becomes easier to write—you don’t have to craft prose that connects the whole piece together in a narrative flow. Subheads take care of the transitions for you.

Here is one content strategy for organizing a fitness blog, and the rationale for each section.

Sub-Head: The Problem

Frame the issue or problem for the climber (or athlete in another sport). Feel free to use humor, if possible, and describe the problem in a way that creates a vivid mental picture for the reader. Bring readers into the sport or workout culture by creating the “setting” for when and where exercisers experience the problem.

Sub-Head: Why It Matters

Develop one to two paragraphs that illustrate health and athletic impact of the problem on the exerciser.

Touch on the consequences of ignoring the problem. Perhaps it will stall fitness progression, or maybe create other technical performance challenges that will have to be faced later on. Or, maybe avoiding the problem makes the athlete more likely to develop a chronic injury.

Sub-Head: Tackle This Problem

Lay out a clear training plan for solving or reducing the problem.

Good things to do:

Use lists. Your list could be steps in an exercise sequence or progression of activity. You could also create a checklist to ensure the athlete exercises correctly.

Teach readers how to judge their progress. Include language such as “After 3 to 4 weeks, you should see improvement in …”

Frame when to switch from “training” for a specific functionality or performance level to “maintaining” it. For example, you may have an athlete doing core exercises 4 to 6 days a week to build up stability and strength, but once she achieves that milestone, she transitions to doing that exercise/training set only 1 to 2 days a week. You should also clarify how to tell if she needs to switch from maintenance mode back into active training if she is not seeing results or performance is slipping.

Highlight what to avoid. Make sure you always articulate safety limits. For example, a caution might be something such as “heavier weights are not always safe or even the point. Sometimes light weights and high repetitions are what is needed…”

Use photos, drawings or videos that show proper exercise form. For many people, it is hard to translate written instructions into real life doing. The combination of text and visuals can really help people with different learning styles. 

Avoid overly technical jargon when possible, and define each term on first use. If your reader doesn’t know what a supraspinous ligament is, she is going to be uncertain about following your advice. Define technical terms in commonly used language. Additionally, if you are referring to a specific muscle or tendon, consider explaining what it does functionally. Being thoughtful with this context will help her “stay with you” through your exercise instructions.

Sub-Heading: The Take Home

Sum up the blog's recommendations and give encouragement. Consider reiterating why it’s important to follow through. Ask for reader comments and be sure to respond!

Sub-Heading: References

When possible, include online resources such as journal articles, YouTube videos, or technical reports so readers can review additional information. If you refer to a book, include an Amazon or publisher's link.

I hope this article is inspiration for fitness blogs that help market and grow your personal training business. Reach out if you need help!

Photo credit: Creative Commons, "Climbing" by Laurel Fan

Deborah Hill is an anthropologist and communications strategist who blogs about the ways humans and businesses interact. Her professional work has included science writing and implementing communications strategies for Higher Ed departments and schools. Her consulting work supports the development of small businesses.

Communications and marketing for food trucks takes some savvy and some serious dedication. Here are three tips for setting up shop.

Pro Tip 1: Remember, You’re Selling an Experience

Developing a cult following of foodies isn’t just about what happens in the kitchen. It’s also about how well you create an experience and a community—in real life and virtually. Your marketing recipe needs the right mix of ingredients.

Imagery really matters in the food truck business. The visual energy of your truck wrap (the design that makes your truck a moving advertisement), the logo and typography all set the foundation for the rest of your marketing tools. Now you need:

Photography: luscious images of your food, your team (at work and play), and your customers enjoying their meals. Photography will feed your website and keep your social media channels fresh, so make it high impact and keep it coming.

Video: clips of the kitchen magic happening or high-energy events will bring your food truck business to life. Videos need not be expensively high end either, they just need to be authentic. Cheeky, fun and campy can fit the bill nicely. It’s all about helping the customer get to know you better and want to hang out—while eating your food.

Graphics: graphics are a combination of your brand logo, colors, font type and personality that you can use to advertise events, new dishes and more. Develop a couple of high impact design templates that you will use and reuse—and that are always on point with your business aesthetic.

Pro Tip 2: Social Media Is Your Bestest Friend

Your online presence begins with a website, of course. This is where the story of your business lives, the savory details of your menu, your full range of services, where your truck will be and when, and your business contact information. Then, you're ready for social media. Social media channels function as your sales force—most often driving readers back to your site for more depth of information. Social media can help customers find your truck; get foodies excited about new dishes or the return of favorites from the past; and promote contests, giveaways and stories about your business.

There are a lot of social media options available, but you needn’t use every one. It’s important to remember—once you launch a social media channel, you need to monitor it every day and keep it updated with new content. Here are the basics on what tools to use and what to post:

Twitter

What to post: locations and details about where you will be; upcoming events such as food truck rodeos, new dishes or other promotions; and teasers for stories about your business. Using photos and video boosts your reader’s engagement--making it more likely they will come find you and eat. Hashtag your business name and use it every time.

Instagram

What to post: gorgeous photos of your food, photos of you and your happy customers, and well-designed ad graphics—always with captions and a trigger to engage. The trigger can be something simple such as asking a question about a favorite food, or a prompt to share a funny experience of a date involving your food truck. You get the idea. Respond to comments on your post--that is part of building a community of loyal followers!

Yelp

What to post: business contact information, ways to find the truck location, and very carefully thought out responses to customer reviews. P.S. Set up a YELP page before someone else does. It will happen.

Facebook

What to post: Facebook will function a lot like your webpage, but the emphasis should be more focused on the humans in your food truck world. So, this means stories (remember the flat tire on the way to that gig?), anecdotes and photos of your business in action, your events and of course, your customers. A Facebook page that only lists the food truck locations is going to flop. Respond to your customer comments and share your stories and personality.

But keep in mind, social media is not all happiness and smiles, as you’ll see next in pro tip number 3.

Pro Tip 3: Service Recovery

Sometimes things don’t quite go as planned: an entrée comes out not hot enough, there’s not enough sassy in a batch of picante sauce, or someone gets the wrong order after waiting in line for 20 minutes. It happens. But what happens next can seriously affect your business.

The downside of social media for food trucks and restaurants is that angry or annoyed customers can publicly vent their frustration and anger in real time—while you’re busy taking care of other customers and your business operations. It’s a hard lesson when you’re a small business and it’s all hands-on-deck keeping food prep and delivery under control—but you have to monitor social media constantly. Waiting even a day can make the situation worse.

Have a plan for how to respond to disgruntled customers quickly and respectfully. A response should include three elements:

• Tell your customer how much you appreciate their business and that you want to make it right.
• Take responsibility for the lapse in service, food quality, or whatever the problem was—and let them know that is not who you are as a business.
• Offer them a discount or a free replacement at their convenience.

It goes without saying, don’t lose your cool with a snarky comeback—your customer has nothing to lose. You do. Take the high road and focus on service recovery. It will impress and positively influence others subscribed to your social media channels.

What other advise do marketing pros have for food truck businesses? Share your own thoughts and advice!

Photo credit: Silver Seed Food Truck by photographer Brendan Bombaci. Cropped for site size.

Deborah Hill is an anthropologist and communications strategist who blogs about the ways humans and businesses interact. Her professional work has included science writing and implementing communications strategies for Higher Ed departments and schools. Her consulting work supports the development of small businesses.

Here are 5 tips for getting the most value out of your design firm dollars:

1. Get clear on your goals

When I sit down with a new client, my first question is always: what do you need to accomplish? If I get squishy answers or the conversation immediately turns to colors and fonts, I know I can send the designers/programmers back to the office for a while.

Whether you’re selling commercial products & services, recruiting students to a private high school, or soliciting donations for a nonprofit organization—you have business goals. Write out a detailed website requirements document that frames your goals as measurable outcomes you want to achieve. Obviously your website isn’t the sole solution to all those challenges (You already know this.). BUT, armed with a clear picture of what you’re trying to do enables the design firm to give you the full benefit of their team’s expertise. The design team will likely suggest or recommend approaches you may not have considered.

Plan to document and discuss your business in detail with the design firm. This will shape website visual design, user interface and functionality. 

Need help with requirements documentation? Check out Alex O’Byrne’s blog on How to Write a Website Specification or VitalDesign’s Writing a Website Design Document?.

2. Define and Refine your Target Audience

Your website reveals A LOT about your company. Savvy customers can SEE and EXPERIENCE how well you understand their needs and wants. Information presentation, the ease or bother of doing transactions, the accessibility of real humans and even corporate values on community relationships—it all adds up into a user experience you want to influence. But, you have to know your target market/audiences.

Here’s where your market research gets put to use.  For example, if your target market is seniors, your design firm may recommend larger size fonts, giving users the ability to change font size easily, or even to have an audible option or explainer videos instead of or in addition to text. If, for example, you’re targeting millennials, the design team will focus on highly visual and mobile friendly design, mechanisms for customers to review products, and social media integration.

Just getting started and want more information about market segmentation? Read Mandy Porta’s blog article on How to Define Your Target Market at Inc.

For businesses with existing websites, your site analytics, social media analytics, and customer service data are the best and most targeted market research tools at your disposal. Mine these resources for insight on how users find your site, move through the content, how long they explore your content and where they leave.  Include what you’ve learned in your requirements document.

If you have analytics data but you’re not sure what it all means, this is where a good design firm can really add value. Their analytics guru can help you understand your customer behavior better. Depending on the services the design firm offers, they can also customize your analytics dashboards so that it better reflects your specific business, and captures the data you really need. Plus, you can learn how to track and measure the effectiveness of specific advertising or outreach campaigns.

3. Decide Who Gets to Decide

It’s important for the right business stakeholders to be involved in website development, to give input along the way, and to test and review the site during development.  You should also identify up front who has the final say for the project. This will save you headaches later on. The ‘decision maker’ can be an individual or a subset of your overall team. Often it is the lead marketing person, the website/social media content specialist, and your server administration person—if you have on-staff IT support.

Here’s why it’s important to decide who gets to make the final call. When everyone’s opinion is equal, you risk too many compromises and an end product that is just plain mediocre. And it just takes forever—which costs you money. At the other end of the spectrum, when only one person’s opinion counts, it’s often the highest-paid-person-in-the-room (aka The Boss)—whether that individual has marketing experience or not. What sometimes happens is The Boss comes in towards the end of the project and starts making wholesale changes—without the benefit of the learnings that came out of the planning, scoping, research and conversations that have already taken place with the design firm. This is expensive and frustrating for everyone involved.

So thoughtfully decide who should really “own” your business’ online presence—in the short term and the long term. Then empower that team or individual, and communicate their role to your design firm and the larger stakeholder team.

4. Get Organized

If you’re just starting out with your small business, figuring out what content you actually need to create can feel overwhelming and hard to define—especially if you don’t have a marketing background. But, your design firm cannot give you feedback with nothing to evaluate. Draft some copy as a starting point so you can best leverage their advice. Depending on the services your design firm offers, they may also be able to assist with photography, videography and copy writing. If not, you may need to commission other expertise.

If you already have a website, inventory the written content, photography and video assets. No one knows your business the way you do (Except maybe your competitors. Stay calm.). You are in the best position to make determinations such as Keep, Discard or Needs Revising. Doing this inventory and assessment BEFORE you engage a design firm will save you time and money. It may also stimulate ideas that should be included in your requirements document.

Sometimes businesses want the design firm to do the inventory and assessment. This can potentially be valuable in helping the design firm to deeply understand your business and processes. But it can also be expensive—so choose how you want to invest your dollars.

5. Be a Good Customer

Explore your competition and gather examples of websites or functionality you like. It’s also helpful to identify websites outside of your business niche as well, as this helps your design firm understand what you like and why. That said, don’t fall in love with a photography site if your business is accounting and payroll! Your website should feature content that authentically evolves out of your business activities. Stay focused on what is unique about your business niche in order to end up with a website you can maintain and sustain.

Do your part of the work. On schedule.  Write, revise or migrate your copy to the draft site. Ensure wireframes and design mockups are reviewed and signed off on time. Thoroughly test all of the website features. And, be mindful of the number of review cycles included in your design firm’s project quote. If you need more review cycles, the project cost will go up.

Watch out for scope creep. It’s pretty typical for new ideas to pop up as a website starts to take shape. Discuss whether such ideas need to be incorporated into the site now or later. If you genuinely need it now, the new task will increase the project cost and push back the launch deadline. Make those decisions carefully.

Remember that your website is an evolving tool that you will tweak and update as your business changes. It’s okay if you don’t have all the bells and whistles from day one.

Photography credit: Wireframe by Baldiri, through Creative Commons

Deborah Hill is an anthropologist and communications strategist who blogs about the ways humans and businesses interact. Her professional work has included science writing and implementing communications strategies for Higher Ed departments and schools. Her consulting work supports the development of small businesses.

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