If you’re looking to create a website for business, blogging, academic purposes, or any other reason and you’re unsure about what questions to ask the designer to ensure an effective website, this detailed guide provides the key inquiries you should make before working with a web designer.
1. Ask for the Portfolio and Experience
Before hiring a web designer, check if they have enough experience. Look at their past work to see if it fits what you need. Ask to see examples of websites they’ve designed, and be careful if they don’t want to show you. Find out how their designs helped businesses, like if they increased sales. Choose a designer who is open about their results and can prove they make a positive impact.
2. Ask Them About Their Strategy and Plan for Your Site
Prior to commencing work on your website, inquire about the designer’s strategy and plan for your site. This will reveal whether they consider your brand, goals, target audience, and other requirements. This approach allows you to assess the designer’s perspective on your site.
3. Ask the designer if they employ a specific Content Management System (CMS) or Custom Development
Designers may opt for pre-built templates in content management systems such as WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, etc. Conversely, some designers prefer custom website building, granting them greater control over various aspects. Through this conversation, you’ll gain insights into the designer’s chosen approach for your website. It’s crucial to recognize that using content management systems, comes with certain limitations, and understanding these limitations is vital to ensure they align with your goals without compromise.
4. Ask About SEO best practices when building the site
When you’re making a website, it’s important to think about how people will find it on Google. Your web designer should use strategies like adding new content, giving each page a good title and description, organizing the URLs well, making sure pictures are set up right, using descriptive tags for images, making the site work well on phones, picking the right keywords, and doing other things to help your site show up higher in Google search results. Make sure to ask your web designer if they’re including these things right from the start.
Read More About SEO Best Practices.
5. Ask If They Plan to Outsource Any of the Work
A web designer may outsource tasks such as copywriting, graphic design, or even some of the more advanced coding aspects. This ensures that the work is executed to a high standard, allowing the designer to concentrate on their core strengths.
While outsourcing isn’t always bad, it’s crucial to be informed if any aspect of the project will be assigned to an external party.
Moreover, understanding the extent of your designer’s project management skills is important. Inquire about their proficiency in handling the fundamental aspects of project management necessary for steering the website project from initiation to completion.
6. Ask If They Can Provide any Additional Services
Many web designers have other skills as well such as graphic designing. If your designer can create logos and graphics, think about giving them those tasks too. Working with fewer people will help your website finish sooner.
7. Ask for the Maintenance and Updates
Maintaining a website involves routinely checking for problems, and ensuring it stays up-to-date and remains relevant. This ongoing process is vital to keep your website in good shape, foster continuous growth in traffic, provide a positive user experience, and enhance your SEO and rankings on Google. If you’re in need of maintenance, ask the same designer who created the site, is often the best choice for a seamless transition between design and upkeep.
8. Ask About the Cost and Payment Structure
Talking about the budget beforehand offers several advantages. It helps the designer understand what can be included and what can be excluded. Based on your requirements and budget, the designer can recommend some free tools for logos, photos, etc., as well as more affordable hosting and domain options that fulfill your needs within the budget.
There is a range of free image resources available online, some options to consider are Pexels, Unsplash, and Pixabay.
Virginia Web Design offers a flexible range of pricing options for websites.
9. Ask About the Timeframe
Choosing a timeframe for your project should be one of your initial thoughts, especially if you aim to finish your website quickly.
Setting a clear timeframe and including a definite project completion date in the contract can prevent disagreements about missed deadlines. It also assists the designer in managing their workload and setting practical deadlines.
10. Ask About the Ownership
When it comes to owning the website, some designers retain rights to the content and graphics they create. It’s important to discuss these matters upfront, determining which rights the designer will keep and which will be exclusively yours. Clearly outline these details in the contract to avoid any issues later on.
Now that you know what to ask your designer at the project’s start, Virginia Web Design emphasizes clear communication for successful collaborations. Our team is dedicated to delivering customized solutions that fit your brand, goals, and budget. Addressing strategy, hosting, functionalities, and security ensures a website that exceeds your expectations. Choose Virginia Web Design for a seamless and effective web design experience tailored to your needs. You’re just one step away from your well-structured and secure website.