6 ways to guarantee your website project runs smoothly
So you’re thinking about hiring a web designer, congratulations! You’re taking the necessary steps to set up your business for success, to truly step into the CEO role you’re longing for. It’s an exciting, empowering feeling, right?
But what does it really mean for you, as an online service provider, to engage with a web designer? What is your role as a client within the scope of the project?
Every client wants their project to run smoothly, to launch their website / business yesterday. But even the best, most insightful web designers aren’t miracle workers. However, I want you to succeed in your business. I want you to love your new online home even more than I do!
The truth is, (and this may come as a shock!) there are things that I, and a lot of other web designers, need from you in order to complete your project effectively and on time.
Here are 6 of my top tips to help you prepare for your web design project so you can get started on the right foot and have an awesome relationship with your chosen web designer!
1. Know your goals
2. Mood board
3. Stick to due dates
4. Provide high quality content
5. Respond in a timely manner
6. Constructive feedback
1. Know your goals
As an online service provider / business owner, it’s important to know your values, your mission, the direction you’re heading, your target audience etc. in order to create an effective marketing strategy to help generate leads and sales.
You need to know the ‘why’ behind the who, what, where and how.
So what are your business goals? What are you trying to achieve? This will help you and your web designer know exactly what functions your website needs!
Is it to sell a service or product - or both? (for OSPs, this could be templates, courses etc)
If so, then you might consider having a scheduling calendar or booking form
Promote your shop / course
Is it to build a social media following, email list, YouTube / podcast channel?
Then you’ll need links to your social media accounts and your social media feed with an invitation to connect
Ideally you would have incentives for people to subscribe - maybe it’s a freebie, a discount, or a waiting list to your exclusive course!
Are you planning on utilising paid Ads or focusing on organic growth?
I’ll always recommend utilising SEO, particularly for organic growth. In which case, you need someone who can help with this area!
Blogging is a great way to build an email list AND boosts your SEO (Google LOVES fresh content!)
Build trust with your community - engage with them, build genuine connections
Your goals provides your web designer a clear direction your business is heading so they can build your website strategically and effectively.
2. Mood board
A mood board is a visual presentation (like a collage) of images, text, graphics, textures, colours, and samples of objects. When it comes to web design, a mood board can be made on Pinterest and shared with your designer.
This is where you can save different ideas and design inspiration that you like or want people to feel when they visit your website etc.
If you get stuck, you could refer your web designer to 1-3 websites (NOT in your own industry) that you like and explain what it is you like about them and why that is. Is there a specific design element you like, such as a floral icon, or do you like how they’ve overlapped an image with a shape block?
Mood boards and design inspiration (design brief) are a web designer’s best friend.
It’s how we get to know more about you, what you’re looking for in terms of the look, feel, layout and customer journey of your website.
We don’t copy someone else’s work, but we use them as inspiration to help create a custom, personalised website for you.
3. Stick to due dates
Most web designers set due dates for their clients so the project runs smoothly and on time. This could be due dates for:
Website content
Copy
Images
Branding
Legal Policies
etc
Review of the drafted website - so final revisions and checks can be made
Payment dates + invoices
etc.
While it might seem ‘over the top’, the due dates are essential in having your website done on time. Being late with due dates means we are unable to begin our work, resulting in the website build having to be postponed and rescheduled, making the process drag out far longer than expected.
4. Provide high quality content
A website is really only as good as its weakest link (pun not intended).
You can have an amazingly-designed website but poor quality images and/or copy dramatically lowers the overall quality and therefore conversion rates.
If you really want your business to succeed and a high-performing website, then I would highly encourage investing in a professional photographer and copywriter.
In saying that, not everyone has the budget to invest in both. If you have a friend that is handy with a camera, then that could be a way of getting good-quality images on a budget and filling in the gaps with stock images, at least to get you started until you have the budget for a pro photographer.
For free stock images I like to use Unsplash and Pexels (not affiliate links, I’m just a fan!)
Content gathering for a website can be incredibly overwhelming. There is so much information out there and sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin or what to include or exclude. o
As part of my onboarding process, all of my wonderful clients receive a content gathering guide + workbook. This booklet maps out all the potential pages you may need on your website, complete with copy and image tips, resources plus more!
This makes it so much easier for you because we have completely taken out the guess-work for you. Instead, you’ll be empowered and equipped with insider tips and knowledge of exactly what we’re looking for so that you can provide high-quality content!
5. Respond in a timely manner
You’re busy; we know that you have a lot on your plate managing a business, personal and professional lives, we do too! But taking a few minutes to respond quickly during the web design phase really means a lot!
Sometimes we have questions, need you to review the drafted website, require a call, or simply keep you posted on the project. Sometimes we can’t move forward in the design phase until we hear back from you.
Getting your website completed by the date you choose requires teamwork, communication, creativity, fun and all the other good stuff!
Like I said earlier, I WANT you to succeed, I want your website to launch on time and celebrate with you when it goes live! I love to cheer my clients on and get excited with you!
6. Constructive feedback
Here’s the thing, at some point your web designer may ask for feedback or a testimonial etc.
It could be about:
The website
The overall experience
The onboarding / off-boarding process
A testimonial
etc
However, I find that most clients just don’t know where to start or what to include in their feedback.
The more specific you can be, the better it helps us as the designer refine and improve their processes, skillsets, client management and communication etc.
So when it’s time to provide feedback, and you’re feeling stuck for ideas, some great starting points would be to think about:
The onboarding experience
How did it go?
What went well?
What could be improved?
Your overall experience working with that designer
What went well?
What could be improved?
Did they go above and beyond for you or were there a lot of unexpected scenarios that popped up?
How easy was it to reach and communicate with your designer; to ask questions, request website revisions?
How did you feel working with the designer? Were they attentive to your needs?
Your website
What do you love about the outcome of the website?
How does it look and feel for you?
Did they achieve what you were wanting?
Does it match your design brief and accurately reflect your branding?
Do all the functions on your website work?
What results have you seen in your business since launching your website?
Off-boarding
How was the handover? Did you easily gain ownership to your website?
How comfortable do you feel maintaining your own website after the handover?
Did you get everything you were promised in the original agreement?
Was the website completed on time?
Were there any bonus perks included as a surprise?
From here choose a couple points that you feel are the most significant and important to you as a client using a combination of both positive feedback and constructive feedback of what would have made the process smoother or easier for you.
In summary, these are just 6 ways to make sure your web design project runs smoothly and effectively so it can be launched right on schedule while encouraging an awesome relationship between you and your chosen designer!
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