Before starting any project, you should make sure you are on the same page as the person who is doing the work for you, in this case, your web designer. Making sure you communicate your expectations, requirements, and objectives succinctly will make sure everyone has a clear understanding as you move forward together in the design process.
The first thing you should do is identify what your goals are for the web design and the objectives you are trying to achieve. Having a good understanding of your business vision and your target audience will help the designer visualize what you are trying to create. Goals can be things like increasing sales, customer satisfaction, brand recognition, additional services, or any other vision you have for growing and promoting your business. Objections are actions you can take that will help you reach your goals. This could be adding free thirty-minute consultations, a scheduling service for appointments, a sign-up form for weekly newsletters, or whatever you think will help move you forward.
Having a good understanding of the functionality you want to include will help the designer give you the site you are wanting to create. Knowing if you need a shopping cart, payment services, subscription sign-ups, links to social media, and to be mobile-friendly are good starting points for creating your site. Additional features, such as blogs, forums, photo galleries, and videos could be good ways to have your ideal client engaged and interested.
Another great aspect I use in my business is having customers find 5-10 sites they like so we can go over the features and what it is about those sites they find engaging. The idea isn't to take other people's, but instead to get inspiration and add your vision in order to make it your own. You may find sites you really dislike in the process and those can be important for your designer to know about as well. Is it because it looks outdated, too simple, does not have enough design, is hard to maneuver, etc? This can reveal a lot about what you don't like so the designer knows to stay away from those things.
Remember to have a clear understanding of the timeline, scope of work, and budget so there is no misunderstanding. Many designers will ask for a deposit up-front to ensure you are serious about the work and can pay them for their services. Overall, communication is the most important aspect of getting what you want, so make sure to be transparent, obvious, and don't be afraid to over-communicate. Making clients happy and delivering their vision for their website makes the designer's work enjoyable.
Click this link to download our free guide on Information Your Web Designer Needs To Create Your Ideal Website
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