From start to finish, redesigning a website is a whole entire process. Because there’s a lot of moving bits and pieces, it’s essential to kick things off in the smartest way possible. That means asking a lot of questions, gaining clarity on what to expect and when, and getting everything organized in one central place (like in a project management tool).
Doing this work upfront and before the work actually starts makes a world of difference when unexpected issues or situations arise. Trust me on this – this communication early on helps avoid stress and headaches later. After asking all of your questions, make sure the important bits (like processes) are included in the design contract you sign.
That way, both parties are held accountable and have something legit to refer back to in case a disagreement happens. Of course, hopefully, you won’t ever have to do that! But it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your business. It’s absolutely worth the attention now!
Questions to Ask Your Client Before Designing Their Website
- What made you want a website redesign now vs 6 months ago?
- What are you hoping your website will accomplish or do for you?
- What are your top 3 goals for your website? And your top goal?
- What goals is your current website not achieving that you want it to achieve?
- What pages do you want your website to have?
- What feelings, aesthetic, and vibes do you want your website to evoke?
- Do you want either myself or a trusted SEO partner to implement SEO best practices on your website?
- If your website was a TV show, what show would it be?
- Who are you target clients/customers? What are their values? What do they like and dislike?
- How will you determine that I’ve built a successful website for your business?
- What features does your website need to have? For example, an embedded call scheduler, an interactive Google map, embedded checkouts, etc.
- What do you like and dislike about competitors’ websites?
- How do you want to ensure we keep all stakeholders satisfied with the website’s progress as we move forward?
- Do you have any existing blog post content you want published on the website?
- How important is it for your website to strictly follow Website Accessibility Content Guidelines?
- What do you want a visitor to understand about your business in the first 5 seconds they open your website?
- When a visitor comes to your website, what first action do you want them to take?
- What elements and characteristics do you absolutely not want your website to have?
- What feelings, aesthetics, and vibes do you not want your website to evoke?
- Do you already have web copy, photos, and branding taken care of?
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Questions to Ask Your Web Designer Before Getting Started
- Do you have any experience designing websites in my niche?
- Why do you enjoy designing websites?
- How do you stay up-to-date with changing web design trends and best practices?
- Can I reach out to a previous client of yours to learn more about what it’s like working with you?
- Can you map my current website’s URLs so that we have a record in case we remove or add pages on the redesigned website?
- Do you have a trusted SEO partner you work with to do SEO on clients’ websites?
- If you offer basic SEO yourself, do you know a trusted SEO partner I can work with to develop my SEO further?
- Will I have a client portal or be able to track our progress through a project management tool?
- What website platforms do you work with and why? What’s your favorite and why?
- Will I be able to edit and make changes to my website after we’re done?
- Can you screen record a Loom showing me how to make changes to the design and backend of my website?
- Can you screen record a Loom showing me how to upload a blog post?
- Will you resize and compress my photos and images to make sure the website loads as fast as possible?
- Do I need to do anything with my domain?
- Will you also set up Google Analytics for me?
- What’s your process for making sure our project stays on track and on schedule?
- What will happen to the timeline and process if either of us needs to press pause due to unforeseen emergencies?
- How many rounds of revision do you provide per webpage?
- What happens if I’m not happy with a page’s design after I’m out of rounds of revision?
- How do you keep my passwords secure?
- Can I email you with questions if/when they come up?
If you’re still having discovery calls with potential web designers, be sure to check out their portfolio to see if the designs they’ve previously done fit your overall vision. Web designers’ design styles vary a lot, so you don’t want to pick a minimalist designer if your vision is more maximalist and you’re hoping they’ll be able to adjust… because they probably won’t be able to adjust and you’ll likely end up being disappointed.
Onto happier thoughts, getting a website redesign and refresh can be extremely fun! It’s beyond exciting to think of the possibilities that may come from a website that’s more aligned with your goals. And you do deserve the website of your dreams!
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