As you consider your new website, one of the questions that you’re sure to ask is; "how long is this going to take?"  Most of the time someone who is seeking a redesign is dealing with a site which was last updated at least 3-4 years ago.   And in our experience most of the time we are dealing with an old website we are also dealing with an outdated strategy.    So we often start a web project discussion trying to understand what they are trying to accomplish that their old site is preventing them from doing.   In web terms, the technology changes that have come around in those 3+ years are VERY significant. You’ve seen all these great new designs on other sites and it’s become apparent just how dated your site is. Now that you’ve made the decision to go ahead with your project, understandably you’re anxious to get your new site launched.

Before you select the web shop that has told you they can build your new site quicker than all the rest, there are a few things to consider.  What can the timeline tell you about your selected website provider? Do you have all your content together? What’s the worst thing that will happen if your new site takes a little longer to be launch ready?

​I’ve only ever met a handful of prospective clients who didn’t want their project started and finished ASAP. For many, not being able to start right away is a good enough reason not to select a particular partner. This means that most companies you could choose to work with will have multiple projects on the go. Beware when one of those companies suggests that they can deliver your project in substantially less time than the others.
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A company that isn’t busy will be able to get your work done more quickly — they don’t have other clients to worry about. That sounds great, but it’s worth asking why they’re not (and don’t plan to be) busy. When a company consistently delivers high quality work, they’re going to be in higher demand. A company that does good work AND isn’t busy is a rarity.
Beyond the busy factor, there are a few other things that a timeline can tell you. A shorter project cycle may mean that your chosen designer is doing less “thought work”. It could be a sign that your content is going to be shoehorned into a “standard” website template. Perhaps many different team members will each have a small part in your project, allowing the work to get done sooner. Don’t discount the possibility of poor time estimation. Understanding the factors built into your timeline will help set the baseline for your expectations.

Building a new website is hard work, and not just for the company you’ve hired. There are certain things that only you can do. Gathering content, reviewing deliverables, providing feedback, answering questions. Seldom does it happen that a client is looking for a website when they’re not busy. Taking the time to respond and provide the necessary input for your project isn’t always convenient.
We understand that you’re busy, most people are. Part of what goes into determining the timeline for a project is knowing that sometimes we’ll be waiting. Many clients over the years have told us how much more effort there was on their side of the project than they expected. We do our best to make it as simple as possible, but the reality is, your web designer can’t do a good job without your input. Launching your project right will mean putting in the time and sometimes will mean extending the timeline so you can make it all fit.

Banyan Creative has launched nearly hundred websites over the years. Through that experience we’ve come to understand the time that it takes to launch a great website. Most web projects should allow for 12 to 16 weeks from the time that the project kicks off to the time that the website launches for basic website where the client is actually prepared with what they need to have. Where complexity is higher or the scope of the project is particularly large, or you don't have your ducks in a row projects can take 6 months or longer.   

Yes, completing a project in less time is possible. Yes, we’ve done it. No, we don’t recommend it.  Your project is best served by having a timeline that is reasonable, realistic and achievable.

Keep that in mind when pricing out your own website project with a web shop.  Do you really want to pay as little as possible for a project that averages 3-4 months to complete and expect a high level of quality?     While price and speed seem like a good idea when you are comparing proposals, your goal should never be to "get a website live" as fast as possible.    

​One of the questions we have come up quite a bit when working with new or current businesses is something like:
"How come we don't show up when I type in "home remodeling Charlotte?' "

There are plenty of other agencies, consultants and marketing software that will make this answer as complicated as you like (and charge you as much as they would like.)

Here at Banyan Creative we like to make digital marketing clear, simple and transparent for the small businesses that we work with.

SEO can be broken down into two steps: Optimization and Authority

1. Optimization- Optimization is making sure that Google can understand what keywords you’re targeting, which services and products you sell, and where you sell them.

Here at Banyan Creative, we do this by going through each of the pages on your business website or even creating additional pages and making sure each title, tag, text, image and video is saying to both your users and to Google what that page is all about. Think of each page as an opportunity to rank for a specific keyword or product. The 2 extremes that you want to avoid: If you leave your content too thin and you don't give people or Google much to grab on to. But, if you have too much content without a consistent keyword target and your are longer relevant and will have a difficult time ranking.

2. Authority- Authority is making sure that Google knows you have the best content for their users. To grow your website’s authority, you must put out such great and informative content that people naturally share your content and link to your content. If there is one thing I have learned is that there are no shortcuts to build authority. It takes time, effort, financial investment and a long term view for your business. And yes, you need to put out great content for best results.

That’s SEO!

Conclusion
That’s how SEO works, very simplified of course. Breaking SEO down into two simple steps is important because most people even experienced marketers use the term without really knowing whats involved. Sometimes simple is better.