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I’m Building a New Website. How Much Say Should I Have in the Design?

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So you’re building a new website and maybe you’re in one of two camps:

  1. I MUST have a say in every aspect of my website, from the images down to the buttons.
  2. I’m just going to sit back and let you handle it.

But how much say should you really have? What’s going to get YOU the best results for your business?

Neither of the above camps will get you the best results. There’s a saying amongst designers that you should charge more for the clients who NEED to have a say in every aspect of the project. It actually makes our job a lot harder and most of time the results won’t be nearly as successful if you’d taken a step back. Why even hire a designer?

But camp two is no better; this group wants the designer to make every decision for a website that is ultimately going to be the first impression for their business. “You’re the expert, you tell me what you think is right.”

We recommend a middle of the road approach. A camp one and a half, if you will. In this camp, you and your web designer work together as a partnership. You don’t heed all the power to the designer nor take control of every aspect.

No one knows your business better than you do.

By taking a partnership approach to your website, together, we’ll be able to create something great that works well for your specific business. You know your business better than anyone. You know your customers, your goals, your services and everything in between. As designers, we need your input. Share your preferences, who you’re targeting… and the more information you can share about your business the better.

Then take a step back. This provides designers necessary space to take the knowledge you provided about your business plus your preferences and run with it. We may offer options and ask questions along the way. And then we’ll need you to step back in to make a decision.

You’re hiring us because we’re the experts in web design; but you’re the expert in your business. The best website results come when we work together and pool our expertise.

Bonus: Okay, that makes sense… but I don’t know how to communicate my knowledge and preferences.

It’s okay to feel that way. Start with this, “Here is a lot of information about my company, our goals, customers and services. Let me know if you need anything else. Oh, and no green. Not my color.”

We also love it when you send us examples of websites or imagery that you like. Spend some time looking at other websites. Don’t just look at your competitors, look outside your industry and market. Then send us the ones you love; and better yet even some you hate. We won’t make your site exactly the same, but it will give us a better idea what you’re looking for even though you might not know the terminology.

And if all else fails and you still feel lost, ask us. We’d be more than happy to jump on a call with you to talk through it all. This isn’t our first rodeo and we’ll walk you through the process together.

Oh and one last thing, please stop asking us to make your logo bigger.

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