What Helpful Info Should New Clients Give Their Web Designer?
Pre-Planning Makes All The Difference
Congrats on making a firm decision to seek help for the design and building of your new website!
Building a new digital home is exciting and clients might understandably want their web designer to get started right away without taking an initial step back to make sure that everything is to hand.
Read on to see the top questions to ask yourself. When I work with website-only clients, my onboarding process necessitates that I receive ALL content for the site BEFORE we get started and I do this because, in the long run, it makes the whole process much smoother and will save money, time, energy, and stress - we all want that, right? :)
My onboarding documentation is more detailed than what I share below but hopefully, my tips and questions will get you thinking about your answers and the kind of content you need to provide your web designer so that once she/he can begin work on your site, they have everything they need to obtain the best possible results based on your business goals and long-term objectives.
The Onboarding Process Is Vital For Success
Image via Cubicle Ninjas and one of many mind blowing web design facts.
Personally, I send my onboarding materials to my client and then once they are completed, I like to meet either in person or via Zoom in order to thrash through the info with a fine-tooth comb.
Show & Tell = Fabulous!
A quick tip. Sharing visual info is always helpful during the onboarding process ie. a Pinterest board, screenshots, mood board, mind maps etc.
Let’s Start With The Basics
The answers to the questions below will all help with decision-making, content creation, the look and feel of your site etc.
If you need clarity around answering any of these questions below, I’d love to help you with a 90-Minute Strategy Call.
Tell me about your business. Your elevator pitch.
Who do you serve? Who is your audience? (Detail is great).
What are your main goals for your business and how can the website assist with these? ie. do you want to increase visitors to your site, encourage engagement on the blog, increase brand visibility, more sales, boost sign-ups via a newsletter, membership, and free offering?
How are you different from your competitors, name two of their websites. (Why do you like them?).
The Icing On The Cake Info
What would make the project a success and what would make it a failure?
Do you have a timeline in mind for completing this project?
What additions to your shop would future-proof it ie. a shop, services?
Getting The Look & Feel of Your Site Just Right
Colour scheme? Do you have one or need one? I can help.
Brand assets ie. logo? Remember to have all the necessary files to give to your designer for editing. Need a logo, favicon, or banner - I can help. This is offered within my Full Remedy website design packages.
Imagery. Do you have imagery in place or do you need help with visual branding?
Functionality? What do you need to future-proof your site ie. online courses, membership capability, eCommerce shop, email management, social media integration, photo galleries, contact form, and online booking forms? (All of these options (and more) are available with my Squarespace web design packages or bespoke package).
Site content ie. the words that you want to add to the site or do you need copywriting help?
Clear structure? Do you need help designing and mapping out a landing page and navigation bar? Fonts? If you have purchased a font, remember to give your designer the source details.
Domain info? Handy to have these details ready so that the process isn’t held up at this vital stage.
Easy Ways To Hand Over Page Content To Your Designer
Google docs, Word, and Mac Pages are all great ways to share page content for your site. I also use Asana - a fantastic project management tool that is great for sharing page content and staying in touch.
Conclusion
Remember, great design is one thing but useless if your website isn’t based on the goals and objectives you have for your site. I hope my list is helpful for you when you come to plan a new website or redesign in the future - as I say, a bit of pre-planning is everything.
That’s it! If you have any suggestions that aren’t mentioned, please leave me a comment below and if you are ready to take the leap for a new website or redesign, please get in touch, I’d love to help you.
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