9 Things to Do Before You Hire a Website Designer
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So, you’re ready to hire a website designer to build you a brand new website or overhaul your existing one. Congratulations! This is a big step forward for your business.
You may be overwhelmed with where to start with a website, but don’t worry - a good website designer will be able to guide you through what you need to prepare.
If you want a head start and a smoother overall process, then it’s a good idea to work through the list in this blog post before you reach out to a website designer.
Why hire a website designer in the first place?
Building your own website comes with a steep learning curve and it takes a lot of time to build something you can truly be proud to share with others. A website designer will know their website building platform inside out and they will have a process in place for translating the content you provide into a functional and professional website. Not only will this save you the time and headaches of trial and error, but you will end up with a website that is beautiful and you can’t wait to show off.
Website designers don’t just make websites look pretty. There is a whole load of strategy that goes into building a website that functions properly, strategically guides your website visitors into taking action and ultimately converts clients.
A website designer’s knowledge of best practices is also important, such as the legal requirements of having a website and certain requirements your website needs to have in order to be GDPR compliant.
So if you’re considering hiring a website designer, here are 9 things to do beforehand.
9 things to do before you hire a website designer
Set a clear goal for your website
Every website needs a purpose, and without a goal, your website will just be an expensive bunch of pretty pages on the internet. Define your website goal before you speak to a designer and then tell them what the goal is. Your website designer will then build your website strategically to fulfil that goal. Some common website goals are:
Book a discovery call
Purchase a product
Sign up to an email newsletter / download a lead magnet
Display a portfolio
Create intrigue and get people talking about you on social media
These are just a few examples. What is your primary goal for your website? What do you want people who visit the website to do?
2. Define your target audience
You need to know who your target audience are so you can write your copy, choose your imagery and the design of the website can be tailored to appeal to them. Without knowing exactly who your target customers are, your website designer will be taking a stab in the dark and your website goal is unlikely to be fulfilled.
3. Get inspiration for your website design
Once you have defined your target audience, spend some time learning about which websites they like visiting and what style they like. Try and look at websites outside of your industry and make a note of:
What you like and dislike about the style of the website
How they have using their branding assets and imagery on their website
The language they use in their copy
What you would change about the website
This is super helpful for your website designer. Once they have a clear understanding of the design style you like they can build you a website that you can really be proud of.
4. Gather your branding assets
Your website should be one of the best examples of showcasing your brand, where everything from messaging, imagery, colours and typography are on display. Without the proper branding assets your website designer can’t put together a website that showcases your brand properly. Here is a list of things your website designer will need:
A primary logo
1 or 2 logo variations
2 or more submarks
A colour palette with hex, RGB or CMYK codes, not just “black, white and pink”. Give your website designer at least 5 colours here:
A white or an off white
A light colour
An accent colour
A dark colour
A black or an off black
Typography - any fonts that you want to use for headings and paragraph text
Any slogans or taglines associated with your brand
Custom icons, patterns or symbols used in your branding
Branding guidelines document if you have one
Moodboard of preferred photography and illustration styles
Mission and vision statements - a summary of your brand’s goals and objectives for context
5. Choose (and purchase) a domain name
A domain name is a unique name that identifies a website on the internet. It is usually followed by .com, .co.uk, .net, .co or other variations. For example, my domain name is kavitalythe.com.
If you are using Squarespace to design your website, you can actually design the whole thing without a domain name, but you won’t be able to publish it. Before you get set on a business name or too far into your design, it’s a good idea to make sure the domain name that you want is available and purchase it to secure it.
There are hundreds of domain providers, but some of the main ones are
GoDaddy
Bluehost
Namecheap
Dreamhost
6. Choose a website building platform
Some of the main website building platforms include Squarespace, Wordpress, Wix and Shopify. They all have their pros and cons.
Squarespace is the best option for the majority of service based businesses. It’s secure, cost-effective, SEO friendly and very user friendly. It’s an all-in-one platform which means that you don’t need to install additional plugins and updates every so often just to ensure your website is functioning.
For more information on Squarespace is well suited to service providers, read my blog post on Why Squarespace is Perfect for Service Providers.
7. Decide on the pages and features you will need
What pages and features will your website need in order for site visitors to fulfil the website goal? A website designer can help make recommendations on this, but it is definitely helpful for you have an idea before speaking to a web designer so they can give you an accurate timeline and quote for the project.
Some examples of pages you could include are:
About
Services
Contact
Blog
Portfolio or Gallery
Resources
Lead magnet download or Newsletter Sign-up
Shop
FAQs
You may not need all these pages, or you may want to add some of them later, but having a comprehensive list at the start of your build will help you and your designer get on the same page (no pun intended!).
Some examples of features you may need on your website are:
Paid membership section
Automated appointment scheduling automation
Podcast integration
Password protected resource library for members or subscribers
Multi lingual website
Making a detailed list here will help you make the decision on which platform to use and which website designer is best placed to help you.
8. Start writing your website content
You can do this part before or after you hire a website designer. The design of your website will be guided by the copy that you write so it’s important to have this ready before your designer starts building your website. If you are unsure what to write on the pages of your website, your website designer should be able to guide you with prompts or examples. If it’s important to you that you do have this guidance from your designer, then check they provide this before you hire them.
If you want to get started on your website content, this Homepage Workbook guides you through all the different sections you need on your homepage, with prompts to fill out.
9. Have high quality photos ready
The quality of photos can make or break a website. If you want a professional looking website you need professional photos. A branding photographer will have an understanding of the types of photos you need for a website - headshots, portrait photos, landscape photos and photos with plenty of space to the side or above you for text overlay. Paying for a professional brand photoshoot is a worthwhile investment for your business and you can use the photos for years and years across social media platforms as well as your website.
You may want to supplement your branding photos with high quality stock photos that match your branding. Styled Stock Society* is a stock photography membership site. They upload new photo and video content weekly. Their content has a feminine aestheitc and it's all high quality menaning that it's perfect to use on your website and across your social media channels.
Unsplash and Pexels are my favourite resources for free stock photos. If you are going to use photos from Unsplash or Pexels then make sure to read the licence beforehand.
Things to do before you hire a website designer - The Bottom Line
A website is an investment for any business - whether it’s a start up or long established. By working through this checklist you can make the best of that investment and end up with a website that not only looks amazing, but is built strategically to convert more clients and help you grow your business. This checklist is the same if you already have a website but want an overhaul. It is worth taking the time to work through the steps to ensure that you will be getting what your business needs from a new website.
If you want to get started planning your website content, this Homepage Workbook is a good place to start.
If you liked this post, you’ll also like:
◇ 7 Essential Website Pages You Need to Convert Clients
◇ The Dos and Don'ts of Great Website Design
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