Top 5 Tips for Working with a Web Designer

Your company's website is so much more than your on-line business card.  It is the professional face of your company.  That is why it is so crucial to find someone who will work with you to create your vision.  Getting a friend of a friend's brother's roommate who made a site for the local band is not going to cut it!

I actually went to a business meeting a few months ago for a larger business site.  One of the panel that reviewed my initial design actually commented that I was the first one not to call him "dude" during the meeting!  I was astounded!  So for those of you who don't want to be called dude during business hours, here is my list of tips for working with a web designer!

Step 1 - Do your homework

Pick a designer with a portfolio of designs.  Choose someone whose portfolio represents great work.  You'll notice similarities in all of their designs.  If you don't like them, this designer probably isn't for you.  When choosing a designer, don't just ask friends for names or google "web design" and pick the top one.  These company's may be a poor fit for what you are looking for.  Another thing to consider is the scope of your project.  If your website will be a large project, choosing someone who has only ever created one page designs also won't make you happy.

Step 2 - Collaboration is key

Your input is necessary!  You can not call a web designer and say "make me a website and show it to me in a month."  A good designer will have a questionnaire for you.  This would include information on your current design, your target market, your logo, features you would like to see, colours that yo

If your designer doesn't ask you questions about your business, how can they come up with a design that will suit you.  They should be able to present something to you be it a drawing, or mock-up fairly quickly.  If you don't like it, ask them to go back to the drawing board, or move on to someone with an idea that brings your vision to life.


u like used, links to websites you like, etc.  It should also include information about how you make creative and marketing decisions.

Step 3 - Speak with your designer

Once a client completes my questionnaire, I always phone them to be sure that we are a good fit.  When collaborating with a client, a reputable designer should want to be sure that your personalities don't clash.  Beware of designers that seem really eager to work with you.  Reputable designers know that this can be the deal breaker to a project's success.

Step 4 -  Read and sign a contract

A reputable designer will always give you their standard contract.  Read it, ask questions about items you don't understand, request changes, and once your a satisfied, sign it.  Make sure all the items you want included in your design are included in this document.  Anything that is not included is probably going to cost you extra.  Sometimes designers are flexible about small changes.  Other times a client might think something is a small change when really it affects the entire layout of the design.  These types of changes should be addressed in the document. Client's should also be prepared to put down a deposit before work begins. 

Step 5 - Be honest and decisive but don't nitpick

A good designer will provide you with a mock-up of a proposed design before transforming it into a working site.  This really is the toughest part of the collaborative process.  It is imperative that you are honest with your designer at this point.  If there is something about the mock-up that you don't like, say so.  Being honest makes the process easier on both of you, however don't nitpick.  Your designer is a vast resource of knowledge, give them a bit of room to WOW you with the finished product.

BONUS - Step 6 - Send content and images on time

Your designer will provide you with the framework and will include the content and images you send in a way that best represents your business.  If you don't send the content, this will no doubt cause a delay.  Your web designer should be able to give you a list of suggestions for content.  They may even work with a copywriter to help over burdened business owners with website content.  A bonus of working with a copywriter is that the text can be customized for search engine optimization.

Lastly, the most common cause of delays and extra costs after the contract is signed is a client changing their mind.  Asking for sudden changes, additions, or wanting to go in a different direction may seem simple to a client but can result in hours of work for the designer.   Be sure you make your decisions carefully to avoid these costly delays.