Inside Look: Working with a Web Designer

The months are dragging using a different platform after another trying to design your own website. You’re definitely over it and past the stage of enjoying it. Realization hits and you know it’s okay to reach out and not try to do everything yourself! It’s stalling you big time launching your business and you’re ready to hire someone to help you out.

Now what?

What does working with a web designer even look like?

You will go through a few stages when it comes to working with a web designer

Strategy
Design
Revision
Responsiveness + Testing
Launch + Wrap Up

No matter what web designer you work with these are the 5 stages they will use in the process. (If they are not, maybe they are not the right one for you).

Stage 1: Website Design Strategy

Strategy is the first and most important stage. I myself and many other web designers will have you fill out questionnaires to get more of an understanding of your business and this will help when going over strategy.

By either phone or video call Day 1 will be all about figuring out the best strategy for your website, because the goal is to have a website that works for you and your business.

Without strategy you mine as well not even have a website for your business.

Basic Strategy will cover:

Goals for your website
Goals for your business
Website visitor (ideal client) journey
Third party tools to help you reach your goals

A more advanced website strategy would include; lead magnets, search engine optimization, blogging (content marketing), etc.

Website Goal

Having a goal for your website is something I recommend anyone do first when they know they are ready to create a website for their business.

What do you want your website to do?

Inform your client about your services by giving them information?
Have clients inquire and book a call straight from your website?
Gain new leads and build your email list?
Just need a way for people to find you?

Your website goal is thinking about what you want your website to do for YOU and YOUR business.

While we always want to keep our ideal client in mind, this part we get to be a little selfish with, because you have to think of your website as a marketing tool.

You can ask yourself: How do you want your website to work with your marketing?

Business Goals

I don’t know if other designers like to focus on this, but I feel it is an important one. Your short and long term goals are important to think about when creating a strategy for your website design.

What are your short and long term goals?

To have a podcast?
Sell products?
Gain 1,000 new email subscribers?
Offer courses?

Having your website prepared for where you want your business to go in the future is where you will save time and money when it comes to working with your web designer.

Tip: If your website designer doesn’t ask for this, maybe share with them so they can create an overall vision that will allow your website to grow with you.

Website Visitor (aka ideal client) Journey

When doing anything in our business we want to focus on our ideal client. What is the best way we can help them and make the experience of working together a breeze?

When our ideal client, that website visitor, hits our page what do we want them to do next?

As service providers, we ourselves have needed to hire for a service in which we go looking on the website of who we want to hire. So keep in mind the journey you like to take when looking for a particular service?

However for this part jump into the mind of your ideal client looking through your website.

Is your ideal client someone that wants to know…

More about the person they hope to work with? (About Page)
If their style and vision matches yours? (Portfolio Page)
If you can get them the results they need? (Testimonials/Case Study/Portfolio Page)
More about what you offer and what it is like to work together? (Services Page)

For example: My journey for my website is About - Portfolio - Services.

Majority of my clients have come from referrals so they like to go straight to the About Page to get to know me a little more.

The next thing they wonder is “oh she seems cool, but can she really help?” So they go over to my portfolio page to see my past work. I’ve even had a client reach out saying they liked my style from my portfolio page, but wondered if I did their industry.

After they get to know who I am and see my value then they head over to the services page to understand what they get and the process of working together.

Since my services page is my end of the journey (not my contact page). I have a detailed inquiry form at the bottom of the services page.

This is something your web designer will (or should) go through with you, if you feel you need help with this part.

Third Party Tools

Wrapping up the strategy side is figuring out based on your goals what third party tools should we incorporate into your website.

Are you needing…

Email Provider to reach those 1,000 new subscribers?
CRM to track new leads through the inquiry form?
Scheduler to book clients straight from the website?

The one I recommend the most to clients is having a CRM (Customer Relations Management System). This not only will help with tracking leads through your inquiry form, but it will help to set up automations and this is one way your website can work to your advantage.

I love Honeybook especially as I was starting out. I’ve been able to wake up to an inquiry in my inbox and the client already received an email that I’m looking forward to our discovery call! All while I’m dreaming about my next vacation!

Stage 2: Designing your website

Now stage 2 is going to be different depending on your web designer. Just like the strategy stage you will fill out questionnaires that help the designer figure out more of what you are looking for with your design and vision.

Your website designer might ask..

What colors are you attracted to?
What vibe do you want your website to give?
For competitor websites and inspirational websites.
You to send them a pinterest link and/or mood board
For any branding materials you have

Depending on your website designer you will have already given them the copy (text on your website), images and branding materials.

Taking the strategy, copy, images, branding materials, and design details discussed, the designer will create the design for your website.

Now each web designer will do this task differently.

Some will send this to you in stages. They create a wireframe, then the mockup, then the design, and you will approve and revise on each stage.

Myself since I help clients get this done within two weeks I only send the design when it is built and then we do revisions. However I will say I still do the wireframe and mockup stage, but I don’t see the unnecessary step of bothering the client with this part.

I’ve noticed that when clients (even myself) are given too many options or shown steps that I don’t fully understand, it makes the process more difficult and I hired an expert to take away the difficulty for me.

Now there are people out there that want the whole process shown to them and I understand that, and there are plenty of web designers out there that do that process.

In the design stage this is where your web designer will be adding any third party integrations that were discussed within the strategy stage.

Stage 3: Revisions

Just like stage 2, revisions are going to be different depending on your web designer. This is something you should definitely ask when you are on that first discovery call.

This should be discussed before the project and detailed in the contract.

As an example I do 2-3 rounds of revision. The reason I say 2-3 is because I split revisions up into 24 hr rounds. You are guaranteed 2 rounds, and if you get back to me in a timely manner we are usually able to do one more round.

Tip: Discuss the expectations of the revision process with your web designer.

Tip: Something you can check with your web designer would be if they do a pre-launch call. This is another time to do any last minute touch ups before going live.

Stage 4: Responsiveness & Testing

Responsiveness and testing your website is very important before launching your website.

Responsiveness is creating your website to look good on all devices; desktop, tablets and phones. You should definitely make sure that your website designer is implementing responsiveness in their design.

Tip: When going through revisions always check the mobile view as well.

Testing is making sure that your website looks good on all browsers, and making sure your buttons, contact forms and third party tools are all working appropriately.

Definitely check with your website designer to make sure they are doing this step before you launch your website. I encourage my clients to test the website themselves as well, before going live.

Stage 5: Launch your website & Wrap up with the web designer

Stage 5 is the fun part!!! You finally get to share your website to the world!! Many designers will do a fun launch day promoting your new website.

This is a great opportunity to have your web designer share your website to their audience, and a great way to show your appreciation to your web designer by giving them a shout out!

When wrapping up the web design project each designer will approach this differently. I myself like to share some tutorial videos to give you the tools you need to easily edit the website yourself.

If any graphics were made or purchased for the website your designer should send those over to you in a file for easy updating or access if needed.

Conclusion:

Creating a website is more than just a pretty design. It takes good strategy infused with design and the right person to help you create a website you love and that works for your business.

As service providers we all struggle with outsourcing parts of our business. Especially when we’ve been the one grinding since day one. There are times when you can definitely DIY your website.

However when you are moving up in your business sometimes it helps to just call in a professional. Having a better understanding of what it is like working with a web designer will hopefully help you feel more comfortable outsourcing this project for your business.

If you are ready to turn those wasted months into productive weeks I’m here to help. With my 2 week web design process you can finally quit stalling and launch your business to the world.

Book a free discovery call and together we can check off, “launch my website” from your to do list!