Eight Key Questions To Ask – Before You Commission A New Website Design
When a new website design or redesign is being contemplated,
ensuring that it’s to be built right is important to achieving +ROI
But, what exactly comprises a new website design that is built “correctly?” Is it the architecture? Is it the functionality? To lay a solid foundation, here are 8 important marketing questions business owners should ask their prospective new website design pro before commencing with any new or redesign site development.
One quick caveat: If a website designer is offering to build you a website or mock-up prior to understanding your business or industry, they are going about it in reverse..
“For your new website design to be successful as a marketing tool, you need a web designer whose design work is focused on the success of your business in your industry, rather than on just creative design,” blogs Isaac Campbell, lead designer at Fannit, a top Washington state design and inbound-marketing agency.
“Before a company can create any sort of suggested design for your site, they should first be committed to understanding your brand message, target market, audience behavior, sales funnel, and revenue goals,” adds Campbell.
This is a crucial component of the design process. Be certain to ask the following questions prior to moving forward with a new website design contractor.
“Do You Appreciate Our Brand Message?”
Not all new website design is created equal. While a particular layout, color scheme, and design elements may be generally impressive, if it doesn’t enhance and communicate your company’s brand message, you won’t realize the performance potentiality that your business could enjoy online. A website that doesn’t resonate with the brand message of your company will strike a disconnect in the perception of its audiance.
“Do You Comprehend Our Target Market?”
Your new website design is for your visitors, and specifically, for the visitors that are most likely to make a purchase decision. These visitors are your “target market.” If your business’s most likely customers are middle aged men, your website should be developed specifically with middle aged men in mind.
“Do You Understand How Our Users Engage With Our Business?”
Your prospective web designer should be actively peppering you with questions about your present website and new site expectations. Before you plunk money down on a new website design package, make sure that your prospective web designer appreciates the present status of your customers and the nature of their interactivity with your company.
“Do You Understand What We Want Our Users To Do?”
You’re not developing a business website for no reason. You want to increase business profits with it.
Prior to purchasing a new website design package, make certain your prospective design pro understands what you desire the website visitors to do. It could be one of the following:
- Create a web-user account
- Purchase a product or service
- Obtain more information
- Pay for services already rendered
“Do You Understand How To Guide Our Users To Do What We Need?”
There are lots of professional web designers available, and a good measure of them can build your business a new website design work of art. But, here’s the rub: very few of them know how to builde a site that actually directs people into the action you want them to take.
“Do You Understand How To Visually Present Our Company?”
“Most web designers will be cognizant of the need to build your site around the colors that you already use for your business, but not all of them will be. Some designers, especially the ones that promise a lot for a very small sum of money, are simply looking for work and won’t necessarily be too concerned about these sorts of details,” says Fannit’s Campbell.
Even if you’re wishing to hire an experienced company to do your site or redesign, discuss your brand colors and look at how they anticipate designing your site around those colors.
Often, but not always, a new site should include a new color scheme, so be open to professional input on this. Particularly if it’s been a long time since you’ve done anything with your business visual presentation, or if you didn’t previously utilize a professional designer. This can be an excellent time to consider a thorough rebranding.
“What Is Your Past Experience with New Website Design?”
Hopefully, you won’t hire someone who’s never designed a website before, so review their past projects. If they have no experience on their website, it’s probably already time to find someone else.
“Have You Done a New Website Design for a Business Similar to Ours?”
While not entirely necessary in analyzing a new website design prospect, you can obtain extra reassurance that you’re paying for good work if the service you’re employing has successfully delivered for a business similar to yours.
Remember, many design firms and pros will take your money and make you a new site, but only a small subset can build a site that can reach its full ROI potential.
It’s critical to ask the right questions!
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Ricky Rocha Loures is Lead Design Partner with ADMAX, a full service WordPress and web marketing optimization firm with clients like Cloud9 Real Time, Ricky is Brazilian and presently resides in South Florida where he received his Bachelors of Science in Digital Arts & Design at Full Sail University. Currently pursuing his masters degree, he is “inspired to be inspiring.” Ricky has received accolades for his agency 2XR and independent design work from numerous notable clients.
