Designing a new website is a significant step for any company that requires careful planning and good collaboration with a web designer. Thorough preparation is crucial so that you can get the most out of this conversation and bring your vision of a great website to life.
In this article, I'll show you how you can optimally prepare yourself for a conversation with a web designer by highlighting the designer's possible questions and giving you tips on how to answer them successfully.
Describe your business in a few sentences
Before you meet with the web designer, it's important that you can describe your business in a few clear sentences. Mention what your company sells, what niche or industry it is in, how long you've been in business, and how many employees you have. This information helps the designer develop a better understanding of your company and your needs.
Does a website already exist? If so, what do you no longer like about your current website?
If you already have a website, think about what you no longer like about the current website or what you would like to improve. Think about the design, functionality, and usability, and name the specific aspects that you would like to have different.
What problem are you trying to solve with your new website? What are the goals of this project?
The web designer will want to understand what challenges you want to overcome with the new website and what goals you are pursuing with it. Consider whether you want to get more customers, increase your reach, or increase sales.
What is important to you about your new website?
Before the interview, determine which aspects are particularly important to you. Should the design be modern and appealing? Do you value simple navigation or specific functionalities such as a portfolio, blog, search function, contact form, shop, PayPal or Calendly?
What does success look like for this project?
Define measurable success criteria for the new website. For example, this could be increased visitor numbers, a longer length of stay by users or an increased conversion rate.
List two competitors
Before the interview, prepare two competitors whose websites you like or can be used as a comparison. This helps the web designer get a better idea of your preferences.
Who is the target group in this project?
Consider who your primary target audience is. What age group, interests and needs do these users have? The more accurate you provide this information, the better the website can be targeted at this target group.
When should the project be completed?
Set realistic goals for the time frame in which the website should be completed. This allows the web designer to better assess whether the schedule can be implemented.
Do you have a specific budget in mind?
Consider how much you'd like to invest for the website. A fixed budget helps the web designer find suitable solutions that fit within your financial framework.
What size will your new website have?
Think about how many pages you want your site to have. Depending on whether it is a small company website or an extensive online shop, the scope of the project can vary greatly.
What features do you want your new website to have?
Consider which features are important to you. Would you like to integrate a portfolio, a blog, a search function, a contact form, a shop, or other specific features?
Would you like to maintain and update the content of your website yourself later?
Clarify whether you want to be able to update content on the website yourself or whether you would rather let the web designer do it for you.
Which websites do you like, which don't you like?
Prepare some sample URLs of websites that you like and match your desired style or features. Also name websites that don't appeal to you to avoid misunderstandings.
Should legal texts be drawn up?
Think about whether the web designer should provide you with legal content such as imprint and data protection. Would you like to write these texts yourself or would you rather have them checked by a lawyer?
Who delivers the content? Do you provide texts and images? Should texts be created by a copywriter? Should stock images be used or should a photo shoot even be organized?
Consider who provides the content for the website. Are you able to provide texts and images yourself, or do you need help from a professional copywriter or photographer?
By thoroughly preparing for the interview with the web designer and answering these questions, you can ensure that the project is successful and that you get a website that exceeds your expectations. Good collaboration between you and the web designer is the key to a successful website that optimally presents your company and achieves your goals.
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