Creating a website is a collaborative effort between you and your web designer. To ensure a smooth design process and a final product that meets your expectations, there are several key pieces of information your designer will need from you. Here's a comprehensive guide to what you should prepare:
Budget and Timeline
Understanding your budget and timeline is crucial for both parties. On average, I charge around $550 for a fully responsive page and $950 for a customer-administered page. If you want full control over your site's content, the latter option is for you. However, many business owners find it more efficient to leave the day-to-day management of their site to a webmaster, opting for the first route instead. Knowing your budget and how hands-on you want to be can help your designer tailor their services to your needs.
Target Audience
Your designer needs to know who your target audience is to create a site that appeals to them. Providing a list of competitors and relevant keywords can help your designer optimize the site for search engines. This is crucial for driving organic traffic to your site.
Design Preferences
Your taste in design is subjective, but it's essential to communicate your preferences to your designer. Share examples of websites you like and don't like. If you have a specific color scheme in mind, make it known early in the process. If not, at least indicate preferred colors. A skilled designer will use professional tools to select complementary colors that enhance the user experience.
Content
The content of your website should come from you. You are the expert in your field, and your website should reflect that. Invest time in crafting high-quality content for each page, including text, images, videos, and other media. Your designer can guide you on how to structure this content for maximum impact, but the raw material should originate from you.
Final Thoughts
Creating a website is a significant investment in your business. By providing your web designer with clear information on your budget, target audience, design preferences, and content, you're setting the stage for a more effective and efficient design process. Prepare these elements in advance to ensure that your website not only looks good but also serves its intended purpose effectively.
