Your website is ready for a makeover. To avoid losing customers and revenue, you begin searching for a web design agency since 38% of web users will quit interacting with websites whose layouts are unattractive.
With a general website design plan and web design questions to ask the agency in mind, you may begin scheduling free consultations to determine which agency is the best fit for your project. It is important to get answers for relevant inquiries and build a professional rapport, however, there are several frustrating web design questions that you should avoid asking during your consultation.
4 Questions You Shouldn’t Ask a Web Design Agency
“You Don’t Need Anything from Me, Do You?”
This is one of the top questions to avoid asking your chosen web design agency as you embark on your website design project. Why? Because no successful websites are created independent of clients. Although you are hiring a third party to develop a website for you, you will have to play a part in getting your project completed.
For instance, you may need to help your web designer by providing him or her with the branding or images needed for your project. In addition, web design companies often have questions for their clients to answer during the website creation process. For example, your designer will likely ask you to take time to review his or her designs throughout the project. You’ll also be solicited to provide constructive and clear feedback, approve your new website design, and even participate in testing your new site.
If a web design company does not present questions for clients from the start, the clients should go ahead and ask the company’s team members what they’ll require of them from deliverables, resources, and time commitment perspective.
“Can You Do This Project Quickly?”
As a general rule of thumb, how long it takes to build your website will depend on several factors. These factors include the scope of your project, its complexity, and your web design agency’s schedule. They also include both your ability and the company’s ability to complete tasks by a given deadline.
If clients plan to ask a prospective web design agency questions about design timelines, it may be better for the clients to ask, “How long do you think this project will realistically take?”
Based on a thorough understanding of the needs of your project, your prospective web design company should have no problem with giving you a timetable estimate. The company should also present to you a schedule for the key milestones of the project. Be sure to ask your possible web design partner what factors or issues might impact this schedule.
Also, do your part to keep the project moving as quickly as possible. For instance, avoid constantly requesting small changes, as this will only bring your project to a halt. Also, when the company wants you to provide feedback for revisions, try to do so in a prompt manner. The quicker you can provide feedback, the sooner you will have a website to show off to users and be proud of.
“What Can You Do for Free?”
This is another one of the most taboo questions for clients to ask a web design service provider. Professional web designers have years of combined web experience and a portfolio of successful projects to showcase their value and expertise. The best web design agencies may not be the cheapest but rather the ones that produce high-quality products. It is highly unlikely that they will offer anything free in exchange for the amount of time and craft they are putting into your uniquely branded website.
Determine if you want to hire an agency for a one-time job or monthly. Clarify the agency understands the full scope of the project and the expectations that will protect both you and the firm from problems or misunderstandings down the road.
Before working with a web design agency, take a close look at your price and payment terms. If the contract fails to provide a clear timeline, project phases, unique and mobile-responsive designs (as over 72% of people will access the internet by mobile phone exclusively by 2025), and goals, then you should consider looking elsewhere.
“Can You Make the Website Pop?”
This is a rather vague web design question to ask as it misses the opportunity to expand on the specifics of what you are looking for in a website. For instance, do you have a color scheme, style, or font in mind?
In addition, the web design agency may have questions for clients as well, including:
- Do you like any specific design elements from another website?
- Are there specific design elements you would like to avoid?
- Who is your target audience?
- Do you have any major competitors?
- What sets you apart from your competitors?
- What are your web design goals?
- How can we avoid failure?
Also, feel free to discuss with the firm how many pages you would like the site to have, what ecommerce functions your site needs, and the other features you’re looking for. As an example, you might want to include blogs on your site, as companies with blogs generate nearly 70% more leads each month. If you have examples of websites that you especially like, forward them to your prospective company as well.
Capitalize on the Skills of a Leading Web Design Company Today!
If you’re serious about encouraging visitors to your website to stay there long enough to make a purchase, it’s imperative that your website looks great and is easy to navigate. Fortunately, a top-tier web design company can make this happen by helping you to elevate your website’s appearance and intuitiveness.
Still, before you strike up a relationship with a web design firm, you may want to give thought to the web design questions you intend to ask the company. Consider the above-listed questions to avoid asking a web design agency as you begin the process of creating a winning site that will continue to drive sales.