Before Your Appointment With SP&WD?

Every project is started the same way. Photography, graphicdesign, and web design are all communication arts and all need the same information to be successful.

Identify Your Core Marketing Message

Your core marketing message will define how we will go about creating any marketing material. We need to know what you are selling and who your target market is before I can create a project that will achieve your goals. This will also help you to decide if I need to create a complete marketing package. Having only a professional web site is not enough. You need to have all of your marketing material support each other and communicate your core marketing message. By creating a marketing plan with consistent marketing material your marketing efforts will be much more successful and cost effective.

Collect Your Existing Marketing Material

Start collecting all of the copy and existing information that you would like to put on the design project or web site such as company logos and written material. Starting the process will help you to organize your ideas and speed the creation process along. Please bring all your current and past marketing material to our meeting so I can keep your professional image unified. If you don't have any other marketing material or your marketing material is not consistent with your company image, now is a good time to create a complete marketing package.

Remember you don't need graphics and photographs, I will create them for you. This is a great opportunity to update your photos and graphics and keep your image up to date. Please have all content ready when you agree to have SP&WD go ahead with the design of your promotional project. Digital files are best for written copy. All original media will be returned.

Find Examples of the "Feel" You Want

Collect ideas of how you want your project to "feel" and function, by visiting other web sites and collecting other marketing materials and photographs. Try and collect examples that are outside of your field as well as within your field. Keep a record of the designs and photographs that express the feeling you want to portray to your target audience. You will want to record the web address of those web sites that impress you to show SP&WD. Take note of what it is about the site or other marketing material that impresses you and why. Please note, I will not copy any artist's work. The purpose is to establish the feeling you wish to portray to your target audience.

For All Art Projects I Need to Know the Following

  • How will the image or design be used?
  • How many units will be printed and distributed?
  • Will your project be distributed locally, regional, or nationally?
  • What are the physical dimensions of the project?
  • How many panels or pages will you need?
  • How many images/photographs will you use?
  • If it is photography, how many projects would you like to use the photo in? (You will need to create this list for every project you would like to use the photography in.)
  • How long will this project be in use, one, two, five, years?
  • If it is a print project, what type of paper would you like to use?
  • Do you have the written copy? Will you need help writing the copy?
  • Have an idea of your current marketing budget.

Web Sites Will Need the Following Additional Information

Make a List of the Content to Put on the Web Site

Define the theme of your web site and then make a list of all the topics that your web site will cover. These topics will be the pages of content on your web site. Making a list of all the content you wish to put on the web site will help you to form an idea of how you will like to structure the web site, and will make the creation process much faster.

Make a List of the Keywords and Keyword Phrases for Your Site

Your keyword phrases are the above topics that your web site will be about. Each keyword phrase will be a page on your web site. Each page can only be about one or two keyword phrases to be successfully listed high in the search engines. When you agree to have Sarno Photography &Web Design build your web site I will give you more information on How to Choose the Right Keyword Phrases.

Organize your web site

Create a site map. This is a hierarchal tree to show which pages are related to each other. This will greatly speed up the design process and save you money in consulting fees. However, if you have no idea how you want the site set up I can consult you and create a site map for your approval. The more you prepare before you meet with me, the quicker and less costly the web site will be to create. It will help to decide (if possible) how many pages you want your site to be.

Research a domain name

Finally, think of the domain name(s) and alternatives that you may want in case your first choice is already taken. The following are the current root domains that you may use: .com .net .biz .info .org .tv . me .edu (educational purposes only). You can also pick an e-mail address(s).

Now contact me to set up your appointment

Copyrights

Sarno Photography & Web Design™ owns the copyrights to all artwork created. I license limited rights of use to my clients for their needs. This prevents you from wasting money on usage rights that you will only use once. You only pay for what you use. You will maintain copyrights of all material you provide.

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