When working with a creative designer or team, be very careful not to take away their will to be creative. Business owners often want to take control of the mouse simply because they feel that they know what’s best for their company.
However, there are many things to consider when designing a website for a business, and owners or managers may not have the proper amount of time required to consider all aspects of responsive website design. Here are a few ways you can avoid squashing your designer’s creative will so that you can get the most for your money:
Define Target Audience
Setting your designer up to succeed starts with helping him or her understand your target audience. Of course, you must be careful not to define your target audience too broadly, but you should ultimately give your designer the freedom to decide how your site will best be able to reach your desired audience.
Consider Conversion Goals
Before your designer begins overhauling your site, he or she must understand what your larger goals are for employing their services. Creating a fantastic user experience is a great, although broad, starting goal, but you must go into a bit more detail if you wish to give your designer a legitimate chance to succeed. A great tool for setting goals is the S.M.A.R.T system, which helps you define goals that are specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-based.
Create Focus Points from Sample Websites
When setting your designer loose to revamp your company website, he or she should have a set list of important points to reference as a guide. If you’ve recently perused a few competitor’s websites that you’ve enjoyed, don’t hesitate to give your designer a few sample websites to use as a desirable starting point for your own new site.
Listen to your Designer’s Recommendations
At the end of the day, you’ve hired a designer for his or her technical expertise. If you fail to listen to your designer’s recommendations, you really won’t be getting the most of what you’ve paid for. Experienced web designers come with a wealth of information that you shouldn’t take for granted.
Don’t Be Afraid to Revise
Being content with making multiple revisions is an essential element of any designer’s creative process. You honestly can’t expect to find a “perfect,” finished product on the first go-round. If something doesn’t sit quite right in your mind, don’t be afraid to demand revisions until you’re left with a product that satisfies your needs.
Make Sure Your Content is Engaging
One of the cardinal rules of creating an impactful website is that you must begin by creating engaging content. Content drive the Internet, and Bill Gates surely understood this when he proclaimed, “content is king.” When you hire a new website designer, take some time to map out a cohesive content strategy so that he or she can design your new site to accommodate your ongoing content plan.
At CAYK®, our goals centre on helping each and every one of our clients maximize their traditional and digital marketing efforts. If you’d like to speak with us about your company’s marketing approach, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 403-456-0072 today!
