A number of years ago, having a website was seen more as a virtual business card, giving people a name and number to contact. Now, even a simple website involves a lot of decision making –color scheme, menu type and placement, number of tabs, fields for information entry, link to a shopping cart – so much to consider (not to mention corollary aspects such as SEO).
Unless one has one’s own technical infrastructure and experience, one or more third-parties is going to be called on to design, host, manage, and maintain a site. While cloud use is only increasing, getting a third-party involved can be an anxiety-producing event. Who can one trust? What’s the cost comparison? What do all of those package deals mean?

Considerations

For those looking at web design, here are several concepts to consider when selecting a provider:

1. Customizability: Clients should make sure that the hosting provider allows them to customize their website according to their needs. This includes the ability to modify the design, layout, and functionality of their website.
2. Scalability: Ensure the hosting provider can accommodate the growth of their website. This means that the hosting provider should have the ability to handle increasing traffic and bandwidth demands.
3. Security: Verify that the hosting provider has appropriate security measures in place to protect their website from attacks, such as firewalls, SSL (https://) certificates, and regular software updates.
4. Support: Evaluate the level of technical support provided by the hosting provider, including the availability of customer support, technical assistance, and troubleshooting.
5. Speed: Ensure that the hosting provider has fast load times and high uptime rates to minimize website downtime.
6. Backup and Recovery: Does the hosting provider have adequate backup and recovery procedures in place in case of data loss or other emergencies?
7. Cost: Compare the pricing and services offered by various hosting providers to ensure they are getting the best value for their investment.

In short, carefully evaluate hosting providers to ensure that they can deliver a secure, reliable, and customizable web hosting solution that meets the specific needs.

Question, Questions, Questions

In the rush to get on and through a scoping call, sometimes, it helps to have specific questions on hand to ask. Potential clients should ask the following (or similar) questions to ensure that the vendor can deliver a website that meets their needs:

1. What is your experience in website design? A sample request can be, “Please provide examples of websites you have already designed.”
2. What is your design process, and how will you work with us to develop our website?
3. What is your approach to responsive design? e.g., “How do you ensure that our website will be optimized for different devices and screen sizes?”
4. What is your strategy for search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure that our website is designed to rank well on search engines?
5. What is your approach to website security to ensure that our site is protected against cyber threats?
6. What is your policy regarding website maintenance and updates?
7. What is your pricing structure, including all the fees?
8. What is your timeline for completing our website? E.g., “What milestones can we expect throughout the process?”

You want the most for your money, so, by asking these questions, you can get a better understanding of a website design vendor’s experience, process, approach, and pricing, and determine if they are a good fit for their needs.

Questions are a two-way street

Site design is about communicating expectations both ways. Vendors should be ready to ask these questions of the potential client – and clients need to be ready to answer these to give the provider the best chance of meeting their needs.

1. What is the purpose of the website, and what are the primary goals that it should achieve?
2. Who is the target audience, and what are their characteristics, interests, and preferences?
3. What are the key features and functionalities that the website should have, and how should they be prioritized?
4. What content will be included on the website, and how will it be organized and presented?
5. What are your branding guidelines and preferences?
6. Who are your competitors? This helps determine how the website design can differentiate the client from them.
7. What are your budget and timeline?
8. Helps determine the site design be optimized to meet these.
9. What are your expectations regarding the website design process and communication?

By asking these questions, vendors can gather the necessary information and insights to develop a website design that meets the client’s goals, target audience, content, branding, and budget, and also differentiate them from their competitors.

Maintain effective communication and collaboration with the client throughout the design process to ensure that their feedback and input are incorporated into the final design.

Contact us today so we can help you get your website up and running successfully!