Sadly we see this too often. With clients at their wits end, their business in disarray, and nobody can help them, or more to the point, nobody wants to get involved.

So what goes wrong and how can customers avoid this?

All websites and applications are made using code. There is a good reason it is called “Code”. Code by definition is a secret language, which enables only those who know the code to understand it.

So if you do not have documentations detailing the code, you are in deep trouble, as you cannot decipher the code and nor can anyone else.

What Documents do you need?

Web development or any other kind of software development needs to be documented and these are the documents you need.

1. Requirements Documents

The best advice for everyone working with a developer, is to make sure that they document what they require the software, or the website to do. It is absolutely essential.

We know this is boring, but being a hostage later is not much fun either!

Sit down with your team and define:

• What you need to achieve?
• What functionality your website or software MUST have?
• What functionality is nice to have?
• What are the “What if” scenarios?
• What do you want to happen in each case?

Hopefully you get the picture, but you must document these. It not only helps your developer understand your needs and expectations, it also helps you avoid any misunderstanding and disputes.

Here are some guidelines on what your “Requirements” document should include.

2. User Manual

When the development is finished, insist on a user manual. Your user manual should have a clear description “How to do things”, and where necessary screen-shots, flow charts, etc.

This will help you train staff in the future, but also if you ever need to add functionality, or request a bug fix, you have a reference point. Remember the very definition of a bug is “when the software does not behave as described in the manual”. If there is no manual, there can never be a bug, which explains why some developers are reluctant to provide you with such a document.

3. Code Documentation

This can only be done at the end of the project, and it should be a supplement to your user manual, which describes “How things are done” within the software.

For example it should describe what PHP calls are made, or scripts are run, when you press a specific button, or what scripts/php calls are used to deliver the results and make the functionality, well…, function!!

This is a critical document as it allows your developers to identify problems, or add supplementary functionality. Additionally, this allows other developers to help you if you ever need to go to someone else for help (which explains another reason developers are not so keen to provide this).

Why do some developers not do this?

There are 2 major reasons some developers do not like this approach.

Firstly, most engineers are reluctant to do this as it is boring and tedious work, but this is also a time consuming and therefore expensive process.

Secondly, by not providing documentation, it ties the client to the original developer, which means any future problem solving, or enhancement to the product, can only be done by the original developer. If 3rd party technicians attempt to do any work, they have to reverse-engineer the code so that they can decode what is going on inside the magic box. Remember it is code, and if you cannot decode it, you cannot support it. Reverse-engineering a product with documentation is difficult enough, but doing it without is time consuming, painful, and not always successful, hence costly.

Developers may ask for more money for documentation, which is reasonable as this is extra work. However, this is well worth paying as you will save in the long run.

Summary

Documentation for your bespoke software, website, or additional functionality is critical. Miss this part and you will be held hostage. Most experienced developers will not touch an undocumented software as they have no idea what the outcome might be!

Ask for documentation as part of your bidding process, and ensure you get the correct documentation before you pay for the work in full.

If your potential developer will not offer this service, or refuses to “get involved”, we recommend you walk away and find someone else or contact us. If you do not, you will pay a heavy prices later.

Brochure websites have suddenly become a buzzword in the Web Design fraternity, and to be frank we are puzzled by this trend. In essence, this is Pleonasm (also known as Superfluous Adjectives), where people use unnecessary words or adjectives such as “Wet Water”, or “Wet Rain”, to describe something that is inherently obvious.

We have written in broad terms on this subject before (The difference between Brochure and Website), but here we explain why the term “Brochure Website” is ridiculous, and any experienced marketing professional should be able to see straight through this hyperbole.

What is the Definition of a Brochure Website?

Having carried out searches in Google and other Search engines, we came across a lot of very interesting definitions, which all can be summarised as:

“Brochure websites give a comprehensive view of your company’s Products and Services, in a creative and imaginative manner, in a digital format, instead of a printed version.”

What is a website definition?

We thought long and hard, and could not come up with a better definition than:

“A website should give a comprehensive view of your company’s Products and Services, in a creative and imaginative manner, whilst enabling your visitor to easily find the information they need, interact with your company, or make a purchase.”

Compare the two. Can you see any substantive differences between these descriptions? Nor can we, other than the ability to interact, but we can see significant differences between a Printed Brochure vs a Website.

Using a “Brochure Website” is the same as calling Water,  “Wet Water”!!

What are the differences between a Printed Brochure and a Website?

The list is long but we think these are the key differences in this context.

Layout

Printed brochures are restricted to the paper sizes (A4, A3, A5, etc.). Additionally, printed materials are susceptible to “Fold Bias”, where information above the fold is more prominent, whilst below the fold is often ignored or not noticed by many readers.

Websites have no limitation in size, as scrolling has now become an acceptable way of using a website. This means content producers need not worry about “Fold Bias”, as there are no folds as long as your content is interesting, relevant, and clearly signposted.

Shelf-life

Printed materials have a limited shelf-life, as their content can quickly go out of date and become irrelevant. Producing fresh and updated printed materials is costly, time consuming, and expensive to re-distribute.

Website content can easily be updated, and as often as necessary, so the content can always be relevant and up-to-date. The cost of distribution is negligible as long as the website is properly optimised (SEO).

Interactive

Brochures should contain contact details such as the company’s address, telephone number, website, and email address. However, this does mean potential customers need to take deliberate and additional action to contact the company via the information provided.

Websites are interactive, so whilst online the client can contact using the contact form, or if available, use a Live Chat Function to contact a real person for question and answer session, or real time engagement.

Brochures are non-interactive, they also do not provide any kind of engagement with the potential clients. They are reliant on the potential clients to take action, whilst Website enable the company to take the initiative once a visitor arrives. These include initiating Chat Sessions, Re-marketing Actions, Push Banners, Dynamic Content Response, etc.

Data

Websites can provide a rich source of data on consumers, and consumer behaviour. From discovering consumer’s preferred search terms, to interactions with the website, the data provides enormous opportunity for professional marketeers to take active action and respond to changing demands. Brochures are very much “Spray and Pray”, with no or little feedback mechanism.

Push vs Pull

Brochures and printed marketing materials are usually used for “Push” marketing, where information is provided in order to create demand.

Websites are “Pull” marketing as with the advent of Search Engines, Pay-Per-Click, and Social Media; businesses can respond to demand and “pull” potential consumers to their website.

Summary

We recognise that sometimes in marketing language we need to go Off-Piste, in order to create differentiation and clarity, but this new trend of distinguishing a “Brochure Website” from any standard “Website” is just going off the cliff!

As you can see from the above, websites offer vast options of function and the possibilities for interaction, which Brochures simply cannot achieve. Attempting to recreate a brochure as a website is truly a marketing folly, and missed opportunity, as well as missing the point.

For information on how to create an effective and revenue generating website without the nonsense talk, Contact us for a no obligation first consultation.

In the world awash with Mobile Apps, it is amazing how many requests we get for creating a new Mobile Application.

Whilst this is great business for us, usually clients are unaware of the potential costs of development and the costs of ongoing maintenance involved in owning a Mobile Application. Before anyone embarks on a Mobile Application Development projects, there are a number of key areas they need to consider.

Why do you need a Mobile Application?

This is a fundamental question you need to ask before committing to an ongoing project of development of an application and maintenance.

If you have a well-designed Responsive Website, then it is questionable that you need an App for your visitors. A well-thought out and well-designed website, should be easy to use on a mobile device, as well as offering all the functionality that your website offer to a desktop user to your mobile user.

Many apps have been developed for either internal use by staff, or for the users of the service your company offers online. Not withstanding the above comment about your website design, there are some services that Mobile Applications can enhance. These include Banking, where mobile apps can offer additional security for transactions, online e-commerce platforms that can offer order tracking on the move, etc.

It is really very important to consider what you can offer on your mobile application that you cannot offer on your website, which will also be of value to the users to entice them to download and use your Mobile App.

Requirements Brief

Just like websites, or any software, it is futile to start a project with a blank piece of paper. You need to describe and document your requirements in full, before a developer can consider giving you a valid timescale and price.

We all hear about escalating costs of digital projects, but the reason most projects overrun their time and budget is the dreaded “Blank Page” for requirements. If there is no detailed requirements document, then don’t blame your developer for exceeding your original budget or timescales.

Lack of detailed Requirements Document is the biggest reason for project failures, cost overrun, and project time overrun.

Operating System – Android or iOS?

It stands to reason that you are best to cover both variants if you are going to sell your Mobile App, or make it available to your customers, as you have no control over the platform in use by the consumers.

For internal projects, it is possible to limit the operating system to one or the other, if your company does not operate BYO (Bring Your Own) device policy. Assuming your company provides smartphones for staff usage, then you only need to develop for whichever operating system you use for the smartphones you provide to your staff.

Updates and Maintenance

You need to recognise that once the original Mobile Application project is complete, you will still need to maintain and enhance the software. There are 2 drivers for updated :

1. New Functionality – Business environment is not static, which means new requirements come to light, as well as requirements that you had not anticipated will come to play. So onward developments is part of the commitment when you develop a Mobile Application.
2. Operating System Updates – Currently Android and iOS have at least one major updates per year, plus interim releases for bug-fix and security patches. Your Mobile Application needs to be tested against the minor Operating System releases, but will also need to be recertified by Google and Apple for new major releases. If you do not keep up with these changes, your application may be withdrawn from their respective official stores (Google Play and Apple Store).

Summary

Mobile Applications are not for the faint-hearted, and require ongoing commitment, which in turn requires ongoing costs. Before you embark on a Mobile App project, you need to make sure you have a sound financial case, with realistic cost-benefit analysis, which considers not only the first stage of a product being launched, but also the upkeep of the product.

cContact us and we can help you create a Requirements and Technical brief (see our articles on this), and help you develop a sound and useful Mobile App.

Usually, an event in the week prompts us to write a blog. The event this week was getting another email from another potential client which included the following line:

“I am so frustrated that I have wasted so much money with a developer and now I can’t get hold of him. There is tons of bugs we need to fix, and nobody wants to touch our website. Can you help?”.

This is not unique, as we get many variations of emails and calls for help like this, and most of the time we turn them down! Don’t get us wrong, we are keen on getting new business and making money, but we know when we should back off because we know the pain that comes with taking over a lazy design job!

Web design is supposed to be fusion of the customer’s needs with creative and technical solutions. The problem is most customers do not want to invest time to define their needs, because it is too time consuming and not very exciting! The web developers try to second guess the needs, and most of the time they miss it by a mile! Everyone gets disappointed, frustrated, and nothing really gets done.

The root cause of these problems is not a single issue but the unholy alliance of multiple factors namely:

Lack of Brief

Some clients do not have the time to write a brief nor are they prepared to pay someone to do it. In our previous articles we have stressed how critical this is, and why it is so important to define what is needed.

Unfortunately majority of websites you come across did not start their life with a brief, (no sruprises there!). All because nobody took the time to document what they wanted their website to do.

Referral Website

To short cut this process, many clients take the easy route and tell the developer to check out a website that they like and “Make a website like XYS”.

Not withstanding Copyright issues, this is all very well when discussing aesthetic design, but this is of no use when it comes to functionality.

Most back office functionality of a website are hidden, and only become apparent once you subscribe to the service or make a purchase. Even then, you are unlikely to see all eventualities and “What if” scenarios.

The favourite of referral websites are AirBnB and Amazon (we probably get one request a week for these). We all use Amazon and some of us use AirBnB, but can you honestly say you know exactly how the reverse logistics in Amazon works? Or how the system handles cancellation on AirBnB? How about the way Payment process, user verification, calendar synchronisation with Channel Managers, etc. works on AirBnB?

Usually when we see this we tend to run a mile in the opposite direction!

Cost Cutting

Customers want to save money, which is understandable. Who doesn’t want to save money?

However, there is a cost involved in finding out the functionality of a referral website. This is called time, which any reputable and experienced developers will not give you for free. Experienced developers know all the pitfalls of “Referral Website” process. They know there are hidden “Poisoned Pills” somewhere along the process, and sooner or later they will have to take it!

Generally experienced developers will walk away from any project that is not well defined. This means the customer ends up with inexperienced chancers, which is a high risk strategy. Sometimes these risks pay-off and the customer gets a great website, but more often than not, the project comes to a grinding halt.

The Solution

Documentation

There are 2 documentation processes that are critical in development of any website or software project.

1. Requirements Capture – This document specifies the requirements of the customer in precise and comprehensive manner including all the “What if” scenarios as well as any branding guidelines, design guidelines, functionality, process, etc. Read our guide on how to create a Design Brief.
2. Code Documentation – This comes at the end of the project where the developers document how the functionality and design defined in the Requirements Capture document is being delivered. This includes all the codes, JavaScript, Ajax Calls, etc. in precise detail.

Both these processes cost time and money, so don’t expect them to be included in the cheapest bid. Also be warned, when it comes to updates, troubleshooting, bug fixing, etc., nobody can help you if you cannot provide these documents. Engineers will be looking for a needle in a haystack and that is not a cheap request!

Summary

Sorry, there is no lazy way!! Any website or software development project needs the following clearly defined:

• The Outcome – What it is you are trying to achieve and what is the purpose of your website? Not all websites are selling things, and not all are e-commerce. However, one thing is for sure, there is no such thing as a “Standard Website”. There is no cookie-cutter for websites, and you will only find that out once you have a cookie-cutter website made for you!
• The Journey – Be very clear about what you need your visitors to experience. From the moment they arrive to the moment they leave, what steps do you want them to take.
• The Process – Define the processes you need for order taking, payment, shipment, notifications, tracking, reverse logistics, post-purchase, and help/intervention.
• Document, Document, Document – Developers are quite smart, but they are not mind readers! Unless you document precisely what you want, don’t expect it to just happen magically. However, once the project is complete, make sure they document their work.

If you don’t have time to do these things, consider our Web Design Service for your business.

Most companies treat their website as a one-off project. Everybody gets excited when a new website build project is underway, lots of new ideas get thrown in, and once it goes live everyone wants to show it off. A few months down the line, everyone moves on to new projects and new things to get excited about.

The website becomes last year’s Christmas present that nobody even remembers who gave it to them, assuming they can even find it!

The content gets old and irrelevant, the functionality does not meet customer’s new expectations, new product or services are not on the website, so very quickly it becomes an abandoned site with little use to man or beast.

What to review?

For your website to continue to perform and deliver results it must remain relevant to your business and your customers. Here is what you need to regularly review on your website:

Content

Content soon goes out of date. We have come across websites with products and prices going back to 3 years! Some of the products are obsolete and in some cases the subject matter is way out of date, specially if your product or service is in the fast moving technology sector.

You should avoid culling pages as pages give you Google Authority, so either rewrite them to reflect the current offering, or redirect them to a new page with new products, services, or information that is relevant today. Alternatively, put a link to a be new page on the subject with “See our update on this subject” or “we have replaced this product, click here to find out more”.

Sales Cycle

In seasonal businesses such as hospitality or travel, you need to make sure your website presents the booking/sales cycle not the travelling cycle. They are usually out of synch, so no good showing Spring offers in June, as people are looking to book for Summer and Autumn not Spring.

If you are showing Skiing offers during the Skiing Season, don’t you think you may have missed the boat? Skiers would have booked their holiday months before.

Same applies to Real Estate, Furniture/Furnishing, car sales, etc., as you need to line up your sales to catch the early wave instead of playing catchup with your season. Your website should be part of this marketing process.

Keywords

Review your keyword focus and check if they are still relevant. Are you still optimising for “Mobile Phone” when people are now searching for “Smartphone”? Or if you are in automotive industry do you have anything on the subject of EV (Electric Vehicles)?

Times change, and lexicon in use also changes, so make sure you follow the new language that is in common use and reflect the new trends and buzzwords.

Images

Some images go out of date very quickly and show their age hence they “carbon date” your content. If you are still showing Desktops with Windows XP screens, or folding mobile phones in people’s hands, or Rover 800 sitting in your car park, you might want to think about new photos. This kind of details give subliminal messages that are hard to define but impact visitor’s judgement and view of your business.

Navigation & Content Map

Review the content map and navigation logic. Check if the relevant information for today’s environment is visible and easily accessible. As demands for products and services changes, you need to rethink your content map and the order you present your information to visitors on your navigation bar.

Make sure you prioritise information in order that they are most accessible to visitors in the most relevant manner. Experiment and track the results so that you can verify what works best for your customers.

Statistics

Google Analytics provides a wealth of data for website owners. However, as usual there is a big difference between Data and Information. Data is statistics without context, but information is when data is put in context with reasonable assumptions that can help make decisions with fair degree of certainty.

Get to know Google Analytics tools, and learn how to use them. If you do not have time, contract a company to do it for you as there is invaluable information hidden in this mountain of data. The skill in using data is in asking the right questions in order to get the right answers.

Technology

Remember Smartphone and Tablets now make up to 50% of your traffic, so if your website is not Responsive, you are in trouble. Not only Google and other search engines push you down their results page (SERP), but visitors who actually end up in your website become frustrated.

Even if you have a Responsive website, you need to be vigilant. Screen sizes are forever changing with different widths, aspect ratios, resolutions, etc. being introduced by manufacturers in their fight for market share. Some of the sizes can have an impact on your responsive design, and higher resolution screens can impact the clarity of your images.

Mobile First

Remember you need to think about Mobile Devices, and create your page layout with mobile presentation in mind first. Considering how information and layout appear on a mobile device is critical in getting your message across, as well as retaining your visual impact on mobile and desktop devices.

Make sure any changes in your layout or content on desktop works just as well in mobile devices.

Summary

You should review your website at least every six months. If you are in a seasonal business such as hospitality, this should be done every 3 months. Make sure your website looks fresh and up-to-date, which does not always mean redesigning your website but updating the information and content is vital.

If you don’t have time to do these things, consider our Managed Solutions for your business.