The better prepared you are for your first meeting with a potential web developer, the better the conversation will go. Web developers can help you figure out what direction your website needs to take, and if you also have a strong understanding of what you need, it will be that much easier for them to realize your vision.
What does your website need to do for your business?
Knowing why you’re getting a website and what you expect it to do sets the stage for the rest of the design and development. Do you need to send clients to a physical location? Or educate your customers about a product or service? Will the website have a store? Does it need any special functions, like a blog, gallery, or calendar? How many pages will the website be? Knowing your goals is an important first step in the process.
Prepare your content
Content includes any wording on the website, photos, and branding assets like your logo. Some web developers will ask you to provide the content for the website, while others will help you develop it (like we do here). No matter what, you should have a good idea of what content you will have, and what content you will need. Sometimes creating new content will have a price tag attached, and knowing that in advance will help your developer give you an accurate quote.
Know your budget
Website prices tend to vary by region. If you’re not sure how much you should be paying for a website, ask other local businesses what they paid, and research online. Our websites start at the $4,000-$8,000 range and go up from there depending on what’s needed. The more features and functionalities you want, and the more content you need to be created, the higher the price will be.
Know your timeline
Is there a deadline coming up that your website needs to be live for? If so, developers need to know that right away so they can plan accordingly. All good websites take time to design, but if you need a short turnaround time, there may be some alternative solutions, like putting up a landing page while your full site is developed. Our development process takes eight to nine weeks including creating the content.
Nail down the details in advance
Before you start working with a developer in any capacity, be sure to have the budget, timeline, and expectations set. Developers who take their work seriously will have a mutually beneficial contract that outlines everything expected of both companies. We model our contract off this open source contract (with some suggested changes from our lawyer). If you’re not sure what should be on the contract, it’s good idea to compare it to contracts available online, or to take it to your own lawyer to look over.
Trust the experts
You’re going to a web developer because they are experts in their field. You should have a vision for what you want your website to be, and it’s our goal to exceed your expectations. But you need to trust the experts. We do this work every day. We read up on the trends and new technologies in the ever-evolving fields of design and marketing. If you come to the table with an open mind and a willingness to hand over the reins, the results will be stronger.
