7 Steps to Explaining Website Ideas to a Website Designer

Having a website that turns visitors into clients is essential for success. But, explaining what you want to a website designer can sometimes feel like a daunting task. 

This poll shows 73% of people who voted struggled to explain their website visions to a website designer.

To help you break the ice and ensure that your website turns out the way you envision it, here are seven steps to effectively communicate your needs and desires to your website designer.

7 steps to effectively communicate your website vision to a website designer

1. Define Your Website Objectives:

   Before reaching out to a website designer, take some time to clearly define your website's goals and objectives. 

1. What are aiming to achieve with your new website?
2. Are you looking to showcase your portfolio through your website?
3. Would you be selling products online on your website?
4. What valuable information would you be providing to your audience? 

Having a clear understanding of your goals will lay the foundation for the design process and help your website designer capture your vision.

2. Know Your Audience:

   This is where most people make mistakes. You should not be expecting your website designer to help you figure out your target audience. Their job is to design a website that would resonate with your ideal client.

Understanding your target audience beforehand is important to designing a website that turns visitors into customers.

Do you know your website's target audience? Their demographics, interests, and preferences?

Share this information with your website designer so they can tailor the website's design and content to effectively engage your audience.

3. Gather Website Inspiration:

   Browse the web for websites that inspire you or align with your vision. Take note of specific design elements, colour schemes, layouts, and functionalities that appeal to you.

Providing visual examples to your designer will help them grasp the aesthetic and features you desire for your website. 

4. Create a Detailed Website Brief:

   Compile all your website requirements and preferences into a detailed brief or document. Include information such as the number of pages, desired features (e.g., contact forms, blogs, e-commerce functionality), and any branding guidelines. The more specific you are, the better your designer can understand your vision.

If you are struggling with this, click here to download my free website planner 

5. Provide Website Content and Imagery:

 Website content is one of the top reasons why most website projects are not completed on time and within budget.

It’s normal to start sourcing website content such as text for pages, images, logos, and multimedia elements, before you feel ready and share it with your website designer.  

This will give your website designer a better understanding of how to structure and design the website around your content.

6. Discuss Website Technical Details:

Talk to your website designer about any technical requirements or preferences you have. Whether it's a specific content management system (CMS), hosting provider, or integrations with other platforms, make sure to communicate these details upfront to avoid any misunderstandings later on.

7. Establish Website Timeline and Budget:

  This is the part of website projects that most people feel shy to discuss. Money, time and website work well together. They are friends. 

Communicate your deadline for completion and your budget to your website designer.

This will help them propose a realistic plan that aligns with your expectations.

Be open to discussing trade-offs between features and budget to ensure a successful outcome.

Now you have it, I hope these 7 steps will help you to communicate and work with a website designer to create a website that meets your needs and delights your audience.

By following these seven steps and maintaining open communication with your website designer throughout the process, you can ensure that your website reflects your brand identity and achieves your business objectives.