A lot of businesses start with less than an ideal website. Many times it is a friend of a friend, who knows a guy who knows a girl who made a site for her brother’s band, and, well, you know the rest. However, in time, every business reaches a point where it needs a professional online appearance. Unfortunately, commissioning a website isn’t as simple as ordering office supplies. Web professionals and businesspeople don’t always speak the same language, and the learning curve for an already beleaguered entrepreneur can be steep. Here, is a helpful guide on how to select and collaborate with a designer to create an attractive and effective site–on time and on budget.
1. Do your homework
The first step in finding a designer you like is finding designs you like. It is helpful and necessary to know what you like. Small-business owners should start by looking at the sites of their competitors and similar businesses. The key is to find a designer whose taste matches your own. Don’t just go to Google and pick the first one.
However, taste is only one consideration. Many designers specialize in creating a particular kind of site, so a designer whose previous work includes only small, brochure-style sites might be a poor fit for a large online store, so it’s important to consider the scope of your project as well.
2. Know the basics
Even for web professionals, keeping up with technology is difficult. Fortunately, as a small-business owner, you don’t need to know the ins and outs of the latest trends to commission a website, but it does help to understand a few fundamentals.
A domain name is a site’s web address–yoursite.com, for instance. These addresses are rented on a yearly basis from online registrars. A web host, on the other hand, provides server space–the virtual home where the site will live. Finally, there is the website itself–the collection of files that contain the actual design, text and media.
3. Be prepared to collaborate
Once you’re ready to approach a designer, your input is key. Many business owners don’t realize how much direction they’ll need to provide in order to give their designer a successful starting point.
“The fantasy people have a lot of times is that they’re just simply going to be able to call a web designer and say, “Make me a website and show it to me in two weeks when it’s all done,” however, it is not that simple, business owners need to give specifics on what they want to see in the finished site.
Collaboration is huge–from start to finish. In the beginning, designers typically ask for detailed descriptions of what prospective clients need from their websites, as well as for links to other sites that the clients admire. If a designer provides an online questionnaire, potential clients should answer it thoroughly, as this will give the designer as much information as possible.
4. Get comfortable
Because collaboration is so important, a shared aesthetic isn’t enough–personalities matter, too. Once prospective clients have completed her online questionnaire, a brief telephone call to determine whether they’re a good fit is imperative because, “It builds a rapport, and it lets us listen to the client and really hear what they want. … That first 20- or 30-minute phone call right at the beginning is really important to set the tone for your project.
5. Know what you’re paying for
Once the match is made, a contract is the next step. And here clients can’t be too careful. Everything that’s meant to be included in the project–from the payment schedule to the number of revisions that a client is allowed to request–should be spelled out. While some designers are flexible about small changes, clients shouldn’t count on it. Read it thoroughly, because anything that is not in that document is going to cost you extra. Clients should also be prepared to put down a deposit before any work begins.
6. Be honest, but don’t nitpick
Generally, designers provide clients with a mockup of a proposed design before transforming it into a working site, and this can be the most delicate part of the collaboration. Clients should be honest if they want to see a different design, but they were equally adamant that wholesale revisions are usually better than a lot of small changes. If you feel like the design is way off the mark and it doesn’t feel right for your business, now is the time to speak up.
7. Hold up your end
While the designer provides a site’s visual and technical framework, the client is usually responsible for providing the site’s content–most commonly the text. Failing to do so on time can delay completion of the project, sometimes drastically so. If the text isn’t already prepared, we recommend that clients consider hiring a professional copywriter. Aside from taking the burden off the business owner, a copywriter can provide text that’s customized for search engines, which will help potential customers find the site when it’s finished.
8. Be decisive
Content aside, the most common cause of delays or extra costs after the contract is signed are sudden changes or additions. Many people don’t understand how long certain changes will take to implement, so they’re quick to call and ask for quick changes, which can lead to misunderstandings. Misunderstandings are another example of the importance of establishing a good relationship between designer and client.
A good relationship established before contracts are signed often helps ensure these issues are handled professionally and calmly on both ends. The key is to do the necessary preparation when making your decisions–and then to stick by those decisions until the project is complete.
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