One of the best ways to create a great website, for you and the people who pay attention to your company, is to use the skills of a professional web designer. Belfast web designers are among the best in the world, but you should be able to find qualified candidates no matter where in the world you live. Even though a web designer can create an amazing site for you, you’ll save a lot of time and money if you know what you want before you hire this individual or agency. Here’s why.
Things to Know Before Talking to Web Designer
Web design is slow-going, detail-oriented work. It takes a lot of man hours to make a website properly. Many web designers have clients who have only a vague notion of what they’re looking for when a project is initiated. This causes lots of problems down the road.
A client may see early work and decide that it’s nothing like what they actually want. Another client might create the vision for their site as they go, over weeks and months. This causes the web designer(s) to stop and start, throwing out old work and beginning again from scratch.
Not knowing what you want in advance puts you at a communication disadvantage with your web designer. This can create unnecessary tension. In these situations, a designer will often create work that fits your nebulous vision. Work like this tends to disappoint more often than not.
It’s not what you’re looking for…even though you don’t know what you’re looking for. This can frustrate a designer and lead to lags and lack of enthusiasm.
All of this translates into more time and money you spend trying to figure out what you actually want. Many companies blow their budget during this stage, and end up with a final product they don’t actually like. This is a major disappointment for both client and designer, but it can easily be avoided.
1) Consult With Your Designer Before They Start Building the Site.
Having a series of planning meetings with your designer before the design is actually started can save a lot of trouble down the road. If you’ve never undergone a process like this before, experienced designers can answer your questions and help to flesh out your vision.
2) Take Time to Think, Write, and Draw.
The design of the site comes down to what you want. Take a lot of time by yourself trying to envision the project. Use paper and pencil, anything that gets your inspiration flowing.
3) Talk to Your Customers and Look at Competitor Examples.
Get feedback from your customers about what they need from your website. They may suggest some functionality that you didn’t anticipate. Also look at the websites of your competitors, and the websites of companies in similar industries. These can often make you realize missing elements that you absolutely need.
With these tactics, you should be able to communicate very well with your web designer, and achieve a finished product that is perfect for your needs for months and years to come.
