So You Need a Website Designed: Helpful Tips to Get the Most from Web Designers

Finding the right web design company can be tricky. Website design is an investment, and you need to find the best designer for the job, just as you would for your office or storefront. First, not all web designers will give you the best website for your needs. Check your web designer’s portfolio (just remember each website design is a custom solution tailored to a particular client, yours should be different), read what they are about. Do you think they can handle the complexity of your site? Is there work quality up to your standards? Do they answer their phone and email?

Put together a design brief, so you know what to expect from your ideal finished website. Not sure what this entails? You could find a web design company that can manage the design process from start to finish. They may charge a little more, but many of them will handle the research, usability testing, copywriting, etc., stuff that many web designers cannot do.

Now for some tips. What do you want from your finished website? Is it an informational website? Maybe you want to have company information, directions, or office hours. Is it a sales tool for your company, products, and services? Maybe you want people to sign up for special offers, and help them to decide on your product to buy. Is it an e-commerce website? Maybe you want your customers to buy right on your website. What do you want visitors to do when they get to your website? These are the kinds of goals you will need to know.

Your website should complement your marketing plan and overall brand image. Your customers should be able to visit your site, and know right away that this is your company, but it should also offer something unique with the different medium. Give the web designer a sense of your personality and your company’s. Give them your mission statement. Let them know how your business is unique, what makes you stand out from similar businesses. The designer should be able to properly differentiate you from the crowd.

Give the designer a history of your business. Provide the web designer any photos you have of products, the office, the store, or your products, or services (such as installations). Also, showing them how you have been marketing your business would be helpful. Provide them with brochures, catalogs, stationery, etc.

Let the designer know what marketing efforts have worked, what has not. Inform them of your target customers (who will be visiting your website). Provide research or statistics, if you have them, such as any demographics or sales breakdowns. Provide testimonials, or any feedback forms, your customers have filled out. Let them know why customers buy from you, rather than your competition.

Make sure your web designer has a feel for your customers and for your business. The better they are connected with this, the better product and service you’ll get. They will be more inclined to design the right website for you and your customers (rather than what they think you should have) that will make you money in the end.

Next, you will need to let the web designer know what the website absolutely needs to include. Provide a short list of websites you like. While you’re at it, let them know what you don’t like also. You should convey how you would like the navigation (if you are specific about this), colors, logo placement, the number of pages, and what kind of special functionality the website needs to achieve for you and your customers. A web designer should be able to help you out with these specifics.

You should also have a rough budget in mind, as well as a deadline for completion. You should be prepared to negotiate with any web designer so that you both come up with a mutually beneficial agreement.