Usually 123 we read about questions that you, the person running the business wanting a new site should ask a web design company you are interested in hiring. But rather than putting all the work on you, a professional design company should already ask you the questions answering the ones you might have themselves.
After all, they are the ones who have the experience about web designs and rather than watching you try to come up with something logical should be on their own proceed and bridge the gaps of communication between you two in order to make sure your vision meets their expertise and is in sync with the overall need to appeal to the visitors in ways bringing forth success in all areas of a web design.
Here are 6 questions we believe a professional designer needs to bring forward while talking to you about the project that you have in mind, so he or she is able to tell you what it takes to get this done and also what sort of pricing would be reasonable to have your wishes made come true:
1) What logos, images, banners and other promotional items exist and which coloring, design and imagery are your clients familiar with which need to be extended from the offline world into your online properties?
As the owner of your brand, you need to ensure that your brand carries you throughout the online and offline world. Having a different logo or slogan online than offline would confuse visitors and even lead people wanting to hire you to leave your site.
A web designer needs to look at your brand and implement everything recognizable into your website. He can enhance some of the images and even design some variations for your approval. But overall, the image and visual appeal has to keep the familiarity of what your business is all about.
2) Describe your target audience to be focused in the web design.
Who are your clients? Are they mostly male or female? What age groups are your most frequent buyers?
Are you clients mostly low or high income? What special interest groups may have members most interested in your product or service?
The answers can also indicate where your marketing efforts should be placed. Different target audiences prefer different internet outlets for example.
Once determining the web design who you should focus on, future marketing programs could be outlined and the structure of your website can be created in anticipation of implementing needed measurements to help you become present where your potential customers are able to see you and your brand.
3) How will you manage your site?
What will you update yourself? What sort of system are you familiar with to easily change pricing, switch products or alter messages to the public as new developments may arise?
Some of the companies out there are more hands-on than others. They are ok with figuring out on their own what to do to update their site. They have to know how to do it easily without calling you if a couple of prices on the site need changing while others have no problems hiring you for an ongoing service where you do it for them.
Know what you want so you have a choice in either keeping your web design company on the payroll or be completely self sufficient once the design process is over with.
4) What is the purpose of your site and how will that purpose change in the future?
This is the most important part. Some of the sites out there are not even designed to sell, but rather protect and enhance the image of a company´s product. Other sites are designed to explain things. But more than anything, the importance of a site is to overall increase long-term business for a company.
How exactly that is supposed to be accomplished has to be based on the overall business plan. A good design company will eventually ask the “Where do you see yourself in xxx years?” questions to determine what you need when and how the structure and message will help lead your visitors to lead you there. Discuss every doubt related to web design you have in mind to get a clear picture.
What functionality will your website need to have? Think down the line a few years from now
and properly describe where you would like your business to be.
Once there, what will you want your website´s main purpose be and how will it have to be upgraded?
Will there be a huge database of clients and products in need of being transfered from one interface and software to the next? A professional design company will ask you in advance what is going to be needed for you to reach all of your goals in order to anticipate with current measurements what will need to take place in the future.
Be prepared to answer those questions and if confused, have a business plan summary handy and let details crawl into the interview as needed.
Remember also that there will be 3rd party applications which need to access your property. All of these things need to be taken into account. Including mobile compatibility and the possibility of new social networks and advertising opportunities arising which we may not be aware of yet but which should be implemented into the structure of our site as soon as available.
In other words: Leave some space without letting it look empty while waiting to be used.
5) Which of your employees will need access to what parts of your site?
This is very important in terms of security. Which employee is authorized to have what access? How easily will it be to take off someone who has left the company without chancing any former one to still make changes.
6) How flexible are you?
Think in terms of allowing the web company to make design decisions based on their experience regarding what works vs. what personal preference you demand to be satisfied?
Do you trust their judgement and experience? In that case they may surprise you doing what needs to be done to help you more than you have been able to see possible.
When I first started, I have learned that
a) I don´t always have the answers. But the market does. You cannot beat the market or it will beat you.
What works, works and needs to be continued. Therefore I myself am not hung up regarding what I think looks good to my eyes but rather what gets my visitors to behave in ways that are helpful to my business.
b) Sometimes a personal preference is more than that.
It can be a hunch, a subconscious awareness of what needs to be done to get you somewhere good long-term speaking. Try to identify as much of what you envision on both sides, the design and the business side and from there see where both can meet each others to fuse into something that will flow and take you all the way to the bank.
I personally am always adding two questions:
1) What do you know that you want to have implemented?
2) What are you clueless of but want to know more about to make things happen?
That way there will be no confusion. Because let´s face it:
Oftentimes those who have the tech knowledge lack ideas or don´t know what the business owner knows while those who run a business often have the right ideas and know what they want to see happen, but need guidance in terms of putting this onto the web.
Again:
Communication is key. Let it flow. And only hire a web company which shows interest in finding out whatever they can to ensure that your internet presence will live up to being as strong as it can be and truly increase your company´s income for a long time to come!
