How to Engage a Web Design Team: Key Points to Note and Prepare
Engaging a web designer or an agency can be an exciting step towards building or revitalising your online presence.
However, it’s essential to approach this process thoughtfully to ensure a successful collaboration and a website that meets your needs. Here’s a guide on engaging the right team and the key things you should note and prepare for this process.
Define Your Goals and Objectives
Identify Your Purpose: Before reaching out to a web designer or an agency, share your brand strategy and clearly define the purpose of your website. Does it serve strategic, tactical or transactional purposes? Understanding your primary goal will help the design team create a site that aligns with your objectives.
Set Clear Goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your website. Are you looking to increase sales, generate leads, provide information, or showcase your work? Clear goals will guide the design process and ensure the website meets your expectations.
Research and Select the Right Designer or Agency
Portfolio Review: Look at the portfolios of potential web designers. Ensure their style and experience match your vision and the type of website you want to create.
Check References and Reviews: In addition to following publicly listed reviews and testimonials, take an extra step to find a first-degree contact from their client/project list and contact them to get their feedback.
Discuss Experience and Expertise: Ensure the designer team is not limited to design; they also have extensive technical skills to deliver tailored custom solutions, not relying on pre-purchased templates. A team with a broader skill set, such as commercial, marketing, creative, and IT, will provide valuable input to your web strategies and the context of your brand story.
Prepare Your Content and Ideas
Content is Key: Plan your brand story for the website and gather all supporting content, including text, images, videos, and other media. This will help the web design team understand your vision, leading them to establish a UX/UI (user experience and User interaction) plan to deliver your message effectively. Followed by a site navigation plan with the appropriate static pages and dynamic post structures.
Design Inspiration: Collect examples of websites you like and note what you appreciate, such as web themes, specific functions, etc. If you don’t have brand guidelines, explain your preferred colour scheme and typography. Sharing these with your designer will help convey your aesthetic preferences.
Budget and Timeline
Set a Realistic Budget: Understand web design costs and set a realistic budget. Note the ‘iceberg principle’, where an effective website will require as much underlying technical work as publicly visible cosmetic content. Understand the whole process and expect clear explanations in plain English. Ultimately, cover all your questions upfront with your key contact in the team to ensure there are no surprises later.
Establish a Timeline: Set a clear timeline for the project and understand what type of project management technique they will follow. Discuss deadlines and milestones with your designer to ensure the project stays on track.
Communication and Collaboration
Communicate your needs, preferences, and feedback clearly and concisely. Good communication is critical to a successful collaboration. Be actively involved in the design process. Regularly review progress, provide feedback, and make decisions promptly to keep the project moving forward. While conveying your vision is essential, be open to the designer team’s recommendations. They bring expertise and experience that can enhance your website beyond your initial ideas.
Post-Launch Support
Ensure you receive training on how to manage and update your website. Ask for a tailored user manual that outlines the functionality and maintenance of the site. Also, discuss post-launch support with your designer. Ensure they offer services for updates, troubleshooting, security updates, and regular maintenance on demand.