75% of consumers judge a company’s credibility based on the design of its website, and 94% of individuals feel a website’s design can make them distrust it. That means that the design of your website is crucial to the success of your business.
So before you start working with a web design company, make sure you communicate your goals and expectations clearly. But what are these things you need to tell your web design company before starting a new website? Read on to find out.
1. Your Goals for the Website
Not all websites are created equal. Some are designed to sell products, while others are meant to generate leads or promote your brand. It’s important to figure out what you want your website to do before you start working with a web design company.
Your answers to these questions will help you brief your design team on what you’re looking for:
- What do you want people to do when they visit your website?
- What kind of action do you want people to take?
- How will you measure the success of your website?
Not sure what your goals are? Take some time to brainstorm with your team or look at other websites and businesses in your industry for inspiration.
2. Your Target Audience
Who are you trying to reach with your website? This is an important question to answer before you start because your target audience will influence every aspect of your website – everything from the design to the content.
For example, if you’re trying to reach a younger audience, you’ll want a more modern and edgy website. But if you’re targeting an older demographic, you’ll want a website that’s more classic and refined. Knowing your target audience will help you communicate your vision to your web design team.
Not sure who your target audience is? Try surveying your current customers or using Google Analytics to find out more about the people who visit your website.
3. Your Branding Guidelines
If you already have a well-established brand, you’ll need to share your branding guidelines with your web design company. This will ensure that your website stays consistent with the rest of your marketing materials.
Keep in mind that 43% of buyers spend more on brands they are loyal to. That means that your brand colors, fonts, logo, and tagline are all important elements that need to be consistent across all of your marketing materials- website included.
Not sure what your branding guidelines are? Take a cue from your current marketing materials (business cards, social media profile, etc.), or ask your web design team for help developing branding guidelines if you don’t have any.
4. Specific Website Features
Did you know that a website with basic features needs an average of two months to build? In contrast, a website with advanced features can take up to six months to develop.
So before you start working with a web design company, it’s important to figure out which features you want on your website. This will help them give you a more accurate timeline and budget for your project.
Some features you may want to consider:
- A blog
- An e-commerce store
- A contact form
- A newsletter sign-up form
- Social media integration
Not sure which features you want on your website? Take a look at other websites in your industry for inspiration, or collaborate with a web design team for their recommendations.
5. Your Biggest Competitors
Your web design company will also need to know who your biggest competitors are. This will help them understand your industry better and develop strategies to help you stand out from the crowd.
Remember, web visitors, form an impression about your website in 0.05 seconds. And since there are tons of competitor websites out there, it’s important to make sure yours is up to par or even better.
Not sure who your biggest competitors are? Try doing a Google search for keywords related to your business.” For example, if you sell women’s clothing, you would search for a “women’s clothing store.
Bonus tip: Once you have a list of your competitors, take some time to visit their websites and make a note of what you like and don’t like. This will give you some insight into what direction you want your website to go in.
6. Your Budget
You’ll need to have a budget in mind before starting a website project. This will help your web design team understand what you’re able to spend and allow them to give you a realistic quote.
According to Impact Plus’ 2022 report, the following are the costs of common website designs:
Take note that there are web design companies that offer all-inclusive packages that cover everything from web hosting to website maintenance. There are also some that offer payment plans, so you can pay for your website over time.
Not sure how much you should budget for your website? Reach out to a few web design companies and ask for quotes, or ask them for advice on what you should budget for your specific project.
7. Your Timeline
Last but not least, you’ll need to have a timeline in mind before starting a website project. Designing, developing, and launching a website takes time, so it’s important to be realistic about your expectations.
How long it takes to design and develop a website depends on the scope of the project. But to give you an idea, a typical website takes at least 14 weeks from concept to launch. This covers three weeks of research, six weeks of design, three weeks of design and testing, and two weeks of modifications.
Some factors that can affect the timeline include:
- The size and complexity of the website
- The number of pages
- The number of features
- The number of revisions
- The availability of the client and team
Not sure how long your website project will take? Talk to a web design company about your timeline, see what they recommend, or work on a schedule that works for you and the design team.
Final Thoughts
There you have it! These are the things you should tell your web design company before starting a new website. By being upfront about the seven items on this list, you can ensure that your website project will run smoothly from start to finish.
