The seven things to settle before ordering a website are: the purpose, the readers, the content and number of pages, the budget and production method, the preparation of text and photos, the launch date, and updates after launch. You can still consult us even if not everything is decided, but noting down the parts you do know improves the accuracy of the quote and reduces the number of exchanges.
Deciding these before you inquire makes quoting and production go smoothly
When you talk to a production company, there are questions you will always be asked: what the site is for, who you want to reach, and by when you need it. If you have answers ready, the production company can make concrete proposals from the very first meeting.
Conversely, if you place an order with many points still undecided, the direction can change midway, which drives up both cost and schedule.
There is no need to worry if some items are undecided. We can work through them with you, starting from a consultation to help you decide. That said, knowing for yourself what is settled and what is not will move things along faster.
Decision 1: The purpose of your website
The first thing to decide is what you want the website to do. A different purpose means different pages, different design and different text.
Here are some examples of purposes.
- Increase inquiries and requests for quotes
- Sell products or services online
- Build trust in the company (something you can show clients or financial institutions without embarrassment)
- Recruit staff
- Provide better information to existing customers
If you have several purposes, rank them. Setting an order such as “increasing inquiries is the top priority, recruitment comes next” determines how the top page is built.
Decision 2: Who you want to reach
Next, decide who you want to reach. Picture their age, their position and the situations in which they would open your website.
- What kind of people are your current customers?
- What kind of new customers do you want?
- Will they view the site on a smartphone or a computer?
- What do they want to know when they search?
Try writing down about five things your actual customers have said. Questions asked over the phone or during sales meetings can be used just as they are.
Decision 3: The content and number of pages
Decide roughly what to put on the website. The minimum pages you need are as follows.
| Page | What to include |
|---|---|
| Top page | Your company's strengths and entry points to each page |
| Service introduction | What you offer and a guide to pricing |
| Company Profile | Basic information, founding date, location |
| FAQ | Answers to the questions customers ask most often |
| Contact | Form, phone number |
To these you can add case studies, news, recruitment information, customer testimonials and so on. The number of pages also gives a rough idea of the production cost. For our custom-built websites, we provide initial cost guidelines for three sizes: around 5 pages, around 10 pages and around 20 pages.
If you cannot decide which pages you want, look at three websites of competitors or companies in the same industry and write down the names of the pages they have. Use that as a reference to separate what your company needs from what it does not.
Decision 4: Budget and production method
The cost of a website varies greatly depending on how it is built. According to a survey by Web Kanji, when a small or medium-sized business orders a website, the cost averages 1,044,000 yen, with a median of 573,000 yen.
We offer a choice of two production methods.
| How it's built | Upfront cost | Monthly fee | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| site-factory | From 30,000 yen (excl. tax) | From 7,000 yen (excl. tax) | AI leads the build and people check the content. Suited to those who want to start quickly and cheaply. |
| Custom-built website | From 250,000 yen (around 5 pages), from 500,000 yen (around 10 pages), from 800,000 yen (around 20 pages) | from ¥3,000 | Our creators spend time on strategic planning and design. Suited to those who want a thoroughly crafted site. |
What you should consider here is not only the initial cost, but the total including monthly fees. Comparing over one year and three years makes the decision easier.
Setting an upper limit for your budget prompts production companies to make realistic proposals. Saying “the initial cost should stay within this range” moves the conversation along faster than consulting with a vague sense of what it might cost.
It is also reassuring to check in advance whether any subsidies are available. Website production may qualify for the Subsidy Program for Sustaining Small Businesses. Web-related expenses are capped at 300,000 yen and cannot be applied for on their own.
Decision 5: Preparing text and photos
The text and photos for a website are a major factor in how long production takes. Decide before ordering who will prepare them.
- Will you write the text yourself, or have the production company interview you and write it?
- Will you use photos you already have, or commission a photo shoot?
- Will you include video?
If you are not confident about writing the text, having the production company interview you and write it is a good fit. If they also start by identifying your strengths, they can put into words appeals you had not noticed yourself.
Photos largely determine the impression a website gives. Your building, products, staff and people at work can be used as they are. Even photos taken on a smartphone are perfectly usable if they are shot in a bright place and held level. If you do not have enough, you can commission a photo shoot.
Preparing text and photography takes about two to three weeks. Within the overall production schedule, this preparation is the most time-consuming part.
Decision 6: When you want to launch
Please tell us your desired launch date early on. Website production takes one to two months as a rule of thumb. E-commerce sites take about two to three months.
If you have a trigger like the following, work backwards from the launch date to decide when production should start.
- The opening date of a new store or new service
- An exhibition or major event
- The start of a recruitment drive
- A subsidy application deadline
If you are using a subsidy, it can take time from application to approval and then to the start of production. Please allow extra room in the schedule.
Decision 7: Updates and maintenance after launch
A website really begins once it goes live. Decide before ordering who will be in charge of updating text and photos, and who will respond when something goes wrong.
Maintenance involves work such as the following.
- Managing the server and SSL certificate
- Regular backups
- Updating WordPress itself and its plugins
- Checking that the display is not broken
- Updating text and images
Doing all of this in-house takes both effort and knowledge. Check what is covered by the monthly fee and decide how much to entrust to us.
A consultation memo with all seven written down
Finally, put the seven items together on a single memo.
| Item | What to write |
|---|---|
| 1 Purpose | One top-priority purpose |
| 2 Who you want to reach | Age, position, what they want to know |
| 3 Content and number of pages | Names of the pages you want |
| 4 Budget and production method | Upper limit on initial cost, desired monthly fee |
| 5 Text and photos | Who will prepare them |
| 6 Launch date | By when you need it |
| 7 Updates and maintenance | Who will handle them |
Items you are unsure about can be left blank. We will decide the blanks together with you.
Common mistakes made before ordering
Starting with design talk before the purpose is decided
Starting from visual preferences tends to produce a website that does not match its purpose. Decide the purpose and the readers first.
Choosing a production company on price alone
Even if the initial cost is low, monthly fees and extra charges for every revision can push the total up. Check what is included.
Leaving the text and photos entirely to the production company
Only you know the fine details of your business. Please set aside time to answer interview questions.
Not thinking about updates after launch
If updating becomes a burden, information goes out of date and trust suffers. Confirm how to request updates before you order.
Other companies' websites to look at before your consultation
When writing out the seven points, it helps to collect three websites you like. They do not have to be in the same industry. Writing down what you liked, broken into four areas — colour, photos, text and usability — makes it easier to convey the design direction you want.
FAQ
Yes. We will sort out the undecided parts together as we hear about your situation.
We can give you a ballpark figure. If you tell us the upper limit for the initial cost, we can make a more realistic proposal.
According to a survey by Web Kanji, when a small or medium-sized business orders a website, the figure averages 1,044,000 yen, with a median of 573,000 yen. Our custom-built websites start at 250,000 yen and site-factory starts at an initial cost of 30,000 yen, so our initial costs are lower than this market rate.
A website takes one to two months, and an e-commerce site two to three months as a rule of thumb. Preparing the text and photography takes about two to three weeks.
You may be able to use the Subsidy Program for Sustaining Small Businesses. If you commission us for a project that uses a subsidy, our application support is free of charge, with no success fee.
Bring your seven-point memo and talk to us
Ordering a website goes smoothly when seven things are sorted out: the purpose, the readers, the content, the budget, the text and photos, the timing, and the updates. Whatever is still undecided, just tell us as it is.
We will recommend the approach that fits your situation from our two options: AI-led site-factory and creator-led custom-built websites.
