Know what's needed before you build
Start with website strategy
Gather your team for an exciting website strategy session and leave with clarity.
Get crystal clear on exactly what you need from your website
The website design process can be confusing and difficult to manage. People have different expectations and needs from the website, so it makes building out an accurate scope alone incredibly challenging. The worst thing you can do is gather quotes from web developers when the brief is built on shaky foundations.
That’s why we run dedicated strategy sessions to help our clients clarify their needs, engage their internal stakeholders, and build a watertight brief.
Why do up-front strategy?
It can seem counterproductive to run strategy as a standalone piece before you launch a website project, but here are three reasons why it might make sense to do it:
Avoid costs later
Going into a website project without absolute clarity of scope is dangerous and will likely incur extra costs down the line. Unfortunately, many web developers will take on your project without knowing exactly what they need to deliver, hoping to “figure it out” along the way. This can work, but for moderate-complex projects, or teams with multiple internal stakeholders, up-front strategy is a must.
Energise your team
Let’s face it – a website project can feel like another thing on the todo list. Few people are genuinely excited about such a project, and truth be told, they often just want their website sorted. But our website strategy sessions are designed to be engaging, productive – and even enjoyable! We facilitate your thinking, tease out unspoken problems, and ensure that all voices are heard and considered.
Think, then do
Engaging in strategy helps to separate thinking from doing. This has the magic affect of creating a “wouldn’t it be cool if…” environment, which fosters imagination and supports innovation. For ambitious organisations with multiple moving parts and big organisational goals, jumping straight into design is risky. Taking a strategic approach nails down the detail, clarifies costs, and defines timescales.
We've seen too many vague briefs from charities who aren't really sure what they need. Web developers are happy to quote - hoping to figure it out later. This is risky.
What's involved in a website strategy session?
A website strategy session is an opportunity to engage your full leadership team in uncovering the needs of your most powerful digital platform – your website. It’s common for the CEO, and heads of comms and fundraising to contribute, as well a decision-maker from your board.
Expect to spend around 3 hours in a facilitated session where we examine your organisational goals, user needs, and functional requirements, as well as address any questions or concerns you have.
Pre-workshop questions
All key stakeholders will be invited to answer a questionnaire before the session to understand specific needs and goals.
Facilitated session
Strategy workshops typically last around 2-4 hours, include your leadership team, and can be delivered online or in person.
A comprehensive brief
We produce a detailed project specification document – 20-30 pages – providing full costs and timescale for your project.
Complete peace of mind
You can relax knowing your website can be built with full clarity – leaving no scope for guesswork or additional costs later.
When isn't website strategy needed? When you're a tiny team, your project is fairly basic, or you already have an extremely comprehensive strategic brief in place. For all else, strategy is necessary.
Start with strategy
Book your website strategy session for £1,250
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if strategy is right for us?
If you’re looking to make a significant investment into your website but you’re unsure how to get the best out of it, a strategy session could really help clarify your goals and determine exactly what needs to be built. The best way to know is to book a no-obligation call with us to discuss your needs.
What if the session doesn't provide clarity?
Sometimes, a strategy session can present more questions than it can answer in the time allotted. In these cases, we would seek to clarify details over email after the session, or run a follow-up call with your team. In short: we guarantee to provide enough clarity to produce a watertight website brief for your needs.
An agency told me they do strategy as part of the project, can't we just do this instead?
This is common, and it can work. But often, agencies are quoting blind, and this can present problems later. Whilst strategy can be done as part of delivery if the project is straightforward, it is often beneficial to conduct it separately for more complex or ambitious projects.
Don't you do strategy anyway?
For our Community Platform service, strategy is light touch and handled via a simple questionnaire. For our Scale-up Service, which handles more complex projects and larger teams, strategy is generally recommended up-front as a paid service. If your organisation is spending £20,000+ on a website, it is a good idea to engage in paid scoping before committing to a provider on the strength of a single proposal document.