How does the Power Plan actually improve your website project results?
How much does a website cost?
One question I get asked often is “How much does a website cost?” Taken at face value, it seems like a reasonable question but substitute “website” with “car” or “house” and you can see that it’s impossible to answer that question accurately without a lot more details.
The contact form on our website asks for basic information, just enough to tell us if we’d be the right fit for a project. If we are the right fit, we then require our potential client to do the Power Plan—it’s an essential first step in creating a website and online business.
Through the Power Plan or paid discovery as it’s often called, we strategize what makes your business different from your competitors.
Afterward, we provide a written, actionable, industry-specific plan that outlines the direction of your brand and website and how you will connect with a larger audience of visitors to attract high-quality clients.
So what exactly is discovery?
Discovery is a process we use to uncover your business or brands' true needs. We create a roadmap to increase engagement, add needed functionalities, and most importantly, opportunities to increase revenue.
Discovery is how we gather and organize as much information as necessary about your business and the goals of your website.
We ask very specific questions to learn about your story, the people that comprise your business, your values and goals, and where you want to be upon the website’s completion.
Some questions we ask during discovery:
Why did you start this company?
What do you stand against?
Tell us about your favorite client?
What parts of your process are the same for each client?
Why are you redoing your brand now?
We also ask about your business back story, the services you offer, and how are you different from potential competitors. We then dive into your ideal client, their problems, and your services, packages, and buying process.
The Power Plan conversation is imperative in that all of the information gathered informs every step of the actionable plan that follows.
It also gives us the knowledge we need to accurately answer the question…How much does a website cost? Think of it as a game plan that allows us to check every box and give you a quote that is on point.
Three meetings: You + client + engagement
Many years ago when I first started doing Discovery it was for bigger organizations and I’d lead three separate meetings, each an hour long.
The first session would be about the organization’s history. This is very important because the origin story can greatly inform the current business brand and implementation.
For instance, I did Discovery with a client whose business was over forty years old and had been started by his father. The son was switching the direction of the business within the same industry but with a very different focus. They also had A LOT of traditional collateral in place with dated branding.
Through the course of the initial hour-long conversation, I realized how attached the father still was to the company logo. When it came time to launch the website we used a newly designed, streamlined typographical logo and created variations that could be phased in as the dad got used to the new branding. Over the last several years, they’re doing exactly that and it makes me happy knowing it was an easier transition than replacing everything they had.
The second hour of Discovery is all about clients/customers; your audience, who they are, what they want, and the problems they have that you solve for them. This is really important to understand before embarking on a website design because every industry has its own procurement process.
Often one of the main reasons a client is rebranding is they want to change who they are talking to and how they are marketing their services.
It’s critical to have a deep understanding of the industry, competitors, and the target market. For the target market, we create a customer persona, a fictionalized version of their ideal client. See a real example below.
Example of a customer persona for a past client
I have a website client who has been in business for over thirty years. Their industry hasn’t changed but the demographic of the type of people they needed to connect with had significantly changed. We created a customer persona and all the website content we wrote was with the fictional persona in mind. It really did help.
After each session, I’d do research so that I could then bring new information that may not have been known about the competition, the target audience, or any other new developments. This often altered preconceived notions and ultimately, the website content itself.
The last of the three sessions is all about the connection point where we talk about engagement and how your clients/customers engage with you and how we can leverage revenue from that engagement.
Perhaps it’s the way you structure your offers/products or package your services. We also discuss post-launch activity: email campaigns, newsletter, social media, digital or content marketing.
Many of our clients do content marketing in the form of a monthly blog and email newsletter. Some also do memberships, courses and/or sell products. Many do on social media but not all.
One meeting: You + client + engagement
Now that our ideal client has changed and we work with small businesses and entrepreneurs, I do one 90-minute call and still can cover all I need to know. Partly, it’s because of my experience having created websites for several years now—I know what to ask. And partly, three hours of questioning a small business owner would be overkill.
Our conversation;
Clarifies goals and objectives for
Website, logo, brand, and
Laying out what it is we’d like to accomplish together
Articulates facts and assumptions about your business
Delineates criteria for success: we get an understanding of what exactly it is you’re seeking to accomplish
Uncovers any potential issues to completing the project in its entirety
Gives you a stake in the creative process
Finalizes next steps, and completes discovery in a satisfactory, informative way
One of the most important things needed is to have all the key decision-makers commit to showing up for the Power Plan meeting.
I’ve rescheduled the meeting when a critical person was unable to make it last minute. Why? Because there is no sense in proceeding and missing out on important details at this crucial stage.
All the cards need to be face up and on the table then we do the rest. You commit to 90 minutes while we put in about 6 hours of work, depending on the scope of the project and your industry.
Snapshot of our process.
After the meeting and research, I send the client the Power Plan that includes a snapshot of what I learned and our process (above).
It begins with the project kick-off where we invite you to our project management tool and discuss getting your custom photography and content writing.
We also provide a concise list of what’s included, the cost and a tentative schedule. We build all our websites from start to finish in 30 days or less.
Also included in the Power Plan is a lot more marketing and industry information, but since it’s proprietary and specific to each client, I can’t show that. You will just have to hire us! 😘
But the most important takeaway…
…the results of course!
This client was uncertain WHO her client was. It was during the Power Plan that we decided it was athletic women over the age of 50 who had repetitive use issues. This one decision had ramifications on every part of her business moving forward. We essentially decided on her niche right then.
This client wanted to change her ideal client and diversify who she was targeting her business services to. It was during the Power Plan that we decided on three service offerings and accompanying downloadable lead magnets to build her email list and a potential client list.
And finally, this client wasn’t exactly sure what business she wanted to be in! She’s a multi-talented ballet dancer, yoga instructor and writer. It was during the Power Plan that we hone it down to what she really wanted to do…teach writing!
All these businesses are thriving and successful. One reason is concrete decisions were made early on after being fully vetted, researched and discussed.
The client feels confident that they have an excellent foundation and understanding of all the aforementioned factors.
“Your website is your online marketing engine, so it’s critical to be certain of where you’re going, who you’re engaging and what services you’re offering BEFORE beginning the design and build process.”
A true story….
A successful professional woman reached out to me last year. She was considering starting her own business but she really loved her job, her industry and her boss. She was conflicted.
She did the Power Plan and we discussed all the pros and cons of starting a business, her potential business name and how she would structure her services.
A week later I presented her with my research and a strategy. She mulled it over and then went to her boss to let her know what she was thinking of doing. Her boss, who is obviously very smart, offered her a significant raise and she, who is obviously very smart too, accepted!
Although we didn’t get to work with an amazing client, I consider this a success and that our time together was worthwhile. She confidently made an informed decision that was thoroughly researched and best for her at the time. She was so happy she left us a five-star Google review stating how much it gave her peace of mind.
If you’re thinking about rebranding or repositioning your business services, the Power Plan could be the answer to giving you the clarity and answers you need. Please reach out here. I would love to chat with you about it.
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