Tips For Working With A Web Designer
Building a website should feel like embarking on a shared journey. It is a collaborative expedition that requires both the designer and the client to work towards a common vision. If you know how to work with a web designer, it makes this journey a breeze!
What is this destination? A well-crafted, conversion-optimised website.
The website design roadmap typically includes three checkpoints: strategy, design, and development. Each stage is essential and builds upon the one before it, ultimately leading to a successful website launch!
But how do you navigate this journey efficiently? What can you expect when working with a web designer? I have created a list of the 7 most important tips I like to share with my clients designed to help you understand what to expect when working with a web designer to make your journey a success!
Meet Your Web Designer
Meeting your web designer and booking a website discovery call is probably the most important step in the process of creating the perfect website. This meeting allows both parties to discuss their goals and expectations, ensuring that visions align and fostering a productive, collaborative relationship. It’s also the perfect time to get to know your designer’s style and approach, determining if they are well-suited to your project.
Truth be told, you will be working with your web designer long after you finish your website, which we will talk about further in this guide.
Be Transparent About Your Website Budget
Being open about your website budget with your web designer is a huge factor required for planning and execution since it directly impacts the design, functionalities, and overall development process of your website. A transparent budget discussion can lead to a bespoke design solution that optimises your return on investment, aligning your financial capabilities with your strategic goals.
It’s not uncommon to launch websites in a phased approach, adding more content and functionality as the budget allows into the future. This is the most flexible approach to building a website if you have a budget on the smaller side or you are a brand-new business still learning where you fit in your market.
Define A Website Scope With Your Designer
Defining a clear project scope with your web designer is essential for clarity, efficiency, and the smooth progression of your project. Detailing the project specifications, desired features, and goals helps provide a roadmap you and your designer can follow. When a scope is agreed upon by both parties, it acts as a guiding star that helps keep the project on track and within the defined boundaries.
‘Scope creep’ often happens during the website design phase, before development begins. It’s normal and presents an opportunity to save time for both you and your web designer in the future.
Book Weekly Accountability Meetings
Weekly accountability meetings are a key indicator of a proactive web designer. Regular check-ins keep the project advancing at a steady pace, enhancing a rhythm of consistent work and progress. These meetings also provide an opportunity to share updates, track achievements, and tackle any challenges that may arise.
Not only does this ensure that both you and your designer are on the same page, but it also allows for website feedback to be addressed promptly, helping you launch your website on time!
Understand Website Design Terms
Understanding all of the key website design terms is optional, but very helpful when collaborating with your web designer. Terms like ‘padding’, ‘anchor point’, ‘conversion rate’ and ‘call to action’ are all part of the design vocabulary that can help with effective and precise communication. I have put together a handy guide of 65 website design terms I encourage my clients to read through while i’m preparing their first website draft.
Knowing this language not only empowers you to provide more accurate feedback but also enables you to communicate your vision. As an experienced web designer, I enjoy sharing website lingo with my clients to help them understand my world.
Respect Your Web Designer's Expertise
Respecting your web designer’s expertise is a cornerstone of a successful partnership.
When your designer recommends a specific design approach, it’s often based on years of learning, ample testing, and feedback from a variety of real world experiences. This industry knowledge allows them to provide innovative solutions for UI / UX and optimised conversion.
Remember, you hired a web designer for their expertise, so trust their judgment and lean into their professional recommendations. Their insights and advice could be the key to unlocking your website’s full potential.
Stay In Touch With Your Web Designer
Once your website goes ‘live’, this is one of the first steps on your journey towards online success. It is very likely that in the future you will want to add content, update your plugins or change the way the website functions. Google also rewards websites that have fresh content and are up to date.
Website care plans are offered by most professional web designers after a project is pushed live to ensure their hard work continues to thrive, firing on all cylinders.
Who better to assist with your website than the designer who knows your site inside out? Hence, maintaining a positive, ongoing relationship with your designer is beneficial for the long-term success of your website.
Ready To Work With A Web Designer?
Whether you are planning to collaborate with me or another web designer for the first time, I trust this guide helps you plan, design and launch a successful, well-optimised website.
