You know your business needs a website but you don’t have the time or the expertise to develop the site yourself. However, it seems like every person and their dog is offering website development and SEO services, and all at widely varying rates.Use these slides to help you to develop a checklist which will help you select the best website developer and/or SEO person for your business.

1. Allison Miller, Vanguard Visions
Salisbury / Modbury
Selecting a website developer
and/or a SEO person

2. You’ll find these slides at:
slideshare.net/vanguardvisions

3. Session Overview
• Why is now a good time to be getting a
business website?
• Getting a website
• Selecting a website platform
• Selecting a website developer
• Selecting a SEO person
• What will you investigate further?
• Workshop evaluation

4. Why is now a good time
to be getting a business
website?

5. CC-BY Image: Telecommunications - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunication
Better infrastructure /
access
• 92% of Australian business have
internet access
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013)
• 79% of Australian homes have
the internet
• Good e-practice guidelines for disadvantaged
learnersin VET (2013)
• 90% of Australians have an
internet-enabled smartphone
• AIMIAMobile PhoneSurvey(2013)

6. Internet is already a game changer
Source: Deloitte Access Economics Pty Ltd (2013) –
http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_AU/au/services/financial-advisory/deloitte-access-economics/05660fd56ab1e310VgnVCM1000003256f70aRCRD.htm

7. Connected Small Business, Deloitte Access Economics, 2013
http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_au/au/353dcb8dd760e310VgnVCM1000003256f70aRCRD.htm
Website = Generating more income

8. Getting a website

9. Planning a website
“The 3 Biggest Things You May Want To Consider Before Building A Website” video by Hayley Wilson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mf_YQFqo20

10. Define your target market
CC-BY Image: Clipart – Target with arrow by anonymous - http://openclipart.org/detail/13234/target-with-arrow-by-anonymous

11. What’s its purpose
What’s your
website’s call
to action?
CC-BY Image: Megaphone Shout Action Call Scream Loud Speak by Mickyroo - http://pixabay.com/en/megaphone-shout-action-call-scream-50092/

12. What content?
CC-BY Image:
Image: Content Spray Paint Logo - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Content_-_spraypaint_logo.jpg
D23 Expo 2011 – Marvel Panel - http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6070/6081398164_0aec977321_o.jpg

13. CC-BY Image:
Branding
Naming
your site
URL
Visuals
Themes? Colour
Schemes?
Fonts?
Logos?
Banners?

14. Designing your site map
Home Page
Online Shop
Portraits
Families
Individuals
Other photos Landscapes/architecture
Services
Model shoots/portfolios
Weddings
Latest news (blog)
Contact Us
Possible website site map for a photographer’s website

15. Maintaining and managing
CC-BY Image: TL4458 : High Maintenance Life http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1037526

16. Selecting a website
platform

17. Types of websites
• Google Sites
• Weebly
DIY websites
• WordPress
• Joomla
Open source
websites
• Adobe Business Catalyst
• Blogger
Proprietary
websites

18. Some basic considerations
•Which website platform?
•Where hosted?
•How/Who will maintain/change?
•Can you get your content out?
•Search engine optimisation (SEO)
support tools?
•Have a blog?
•What data analytics does it provide?
•Keep spammers/security threats out?

19. Comparing platforms
CC-BY Image:
Functional
requirement
Platform A Platform B Platform C
Provider or Third party
hosted
Open Source
Blog
Online shop
Export information
Others?

20. Selecting a website
developer

21. Selecting a website developer
More information - questions to ask my web developer
http://www.business.vic.gov.au/marketing-sales-and-online/online-business-and-
technology/setting-up-an-online-presence/questions-to-ask-my-web-developer
1.Ask for quote
2.What other services can they offer
3.What work flow/processes do they have?
4.Who owns the content / design?
5.What’s in the contract?
6.Other things?

22. Selecting a SEO person

23. What is SEO?
CC-BY Image:

24. What is good SEO?
Well designed/functioning site
SEO back-end tool
Popular Key words (Headings & in text)
Hyperlinking (internally / externally)
Unique content - images, video (Alt tags)

25. Driving
people
to your
website
Blogging
Email
lists
Social
media
Online
forums
Search
Engine
Marketing
(SEM)
Other
online
advertising
Traditional
advertising

26. Keywords
CC-BY Image: by Cambodia4kids Beth - Tags: Keywords to describe digital objects - https://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/260004685/
“Great content first, keyword research second!” – Jason Chesters
4 Key Steps the Pros Use to Get Traffic from Search Engines by Jason Chesters
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/06/03/4-key-steps-the-pros-use-to-get-traffic-from-search-engines/#fkiHor3Pqr3PxFlt.99

27. Which keywords?
CC-BY Image: by Cambodia4kids Beth - Tags: Keywords to describe digital objects - https://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/260004685/

28. Which SEO person?
“If they promise a search position, steer well clear of them”
Not even Google can guarantee you no 1 spot
Considerations before contacting
• Website designed with SEO in mind
• Clear SEO objectives

29. Which SEO person?
More information - questions to ask my SEO person
http://www.business.vic.gov.au/marketing-sales-and-online/online-business-and-
technology/web-analytics-tools-and-tactics/improving-your-seo-ranking
1.Good quality content (over keywords)
2.Previous examples of work?
3.Work-flow/process likes?
4.Pay on milestones / benchmark?
5.Understand your target market?
6.SEO reporting?
7.Methods/techniques?
8.How SEO works?
9.Who will be doing the SEO?
10.Contractual arrangements?

30. Measuring your SEO ROI
CC-BY Image:
DIRECT ROI INDIRECT ROI
Immediate sales/contracts Sales/contracts which come at a later time
Increased hits on your website Referrals for business from unknown sources
Reduced time spent on customer service or
information provision
Increased enquiries about your business

31. CC-BY Image:
http://happytechnologies.com.au/top-10-seo-scams

32. Getting some quotes / advice
CC-BY Image:
• Do a SEO web search for web developers / SEO
people in your industry / locality
• Read blogs / articles by website developer /
SEO people
• Read testimonials on website developer / SEO
people websites
• Ask in the ‘Adelaide Word of Mouth/Referral
Groups’ in FB and LinkedIn
• Ask Polaris Centre / BECs

33. What will you investigate
further?

34. Workshop evaluation

35. vanguardvisions.com.au
Allison Miller
0400 732 270
allison@vanguardvisions.com.au
vanguardvisionsconsulting.com.au
linkedin.com/in/theother66
Register for eUpdates: bit.ly/digitalcapability
Connect on:
Twitter - twitter.com/vanguardvisions
Facebook - facebook.com/vanguardvisions