Your business needs a website that will help it grow, and a web designer can help make that happen—but first, you need to ask the right questions. Here are five key questions you should ask a web designer before buying a website:
1 What do you need to know about my business?
A good web designer will want to learn as much as possible about your business before starting work on your website. They’ll want to understand your goals, target audience, and any unique selling points that set you apart from your competitors.
As a business owner, it's important to know who your competitors are and what they're doing. This is where competitor research comes in.
Competitor research is the process of identifying and evaluating your competition in order to gain insights into their strategies, tactics, and strengths/weaknesses. This information can then be used to improve your own business strategy.
Once the web designer understands your business, they should be able to give you some ideas about what type of website would be most effective. Do you need a simple one-page site or something more complex?
2 How long will it take to complete the website?
Before starting a website project, it is important to understand how long it will take to complete. This will help you set expectations with your client or manager, and ensure that you have the necessary time to complete the project.
There are a number of factors that can impact the duration of a website project. The size and complexity of the site, the number of pages, and the amount of content all play a role in determining how long it will take to complete the project. In addition, the experience level of the team working on the project will also impact the timeline.
In general, small websites can be completed in 4-6 weeks, while larger and more complex sites may take 8-12 weeks or longer. Of course, these timelines are just estimates, and each project is unique.
If you're planning a website project, be sure to allow enough time for planning, design, development, testing, and launch. By understanding how long it will take to complete the project from start to finish, you can set realistic expectations and ensure a successful launch.
3 Will my website show up in search results?
If you're wondering whether or not your website will show up in search results, the answer depends on a number of factors. First, your website needs to be index by a search engine in order for it to appear in search results. You can do this manually yourself by registering the website on Google Search Console.
If your website is new or has recently been updated, it may take a little while for the website to appear in search results. Once your website is indexed, its position in search results will depend on a variety of factors, including the relevancy of your site's content to the user's search query, the quality of your site's content, and the popularity of your site (among other things).
To learn more about SEO we recommend this guide for beginners
4.What software you will use to build the website?
A website designer will decide how your website will be built based on the requirements and the budget.
We will explain below what software are usually used and what for⬇️
Content Management System Website
A content management system (CMS) is a computer program that enables you to create, edit, and publish digital content. A CMS lets non-technical users create and manage website content with little or no training. The front and backend of a CMS website are usually controlled by the same software, such as Wordpress or Joomla.
Frontend and Backend definitions
The front end of a website is the part that users interact with. Everything that you see when you visit a website is the front end. It is made up of the content, design, and programming that runs on the web server. The backend, on the other hand, is the behind-the-scenes functionality of a website. It handles all of the logic and databases that power the front end.
HTML & CSS website
The site is basic. It doesn’t have any dynamic content that will update regularly. These are usually informational websites only and will be quick to put together.
Static website frontend with a decoupled/headless CMS system
These are the most popular websites at the moment boasting the user friendly content management system for generation and controlling content, along with a completely custom website on the front end. Statically generated sites are generally very good for performance as they are generated into plain HTML and CSS in advance.
E-commerce specific- Shopify, Wordpress, Magento (CMS FRONT AND BACK)
E-commerce websites are online stores that sell products or services. Shopify, Wordpress, and Magento are all popular platforms for building e-commerce websites. Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it's important to choose the right platform for your business. Shopify is a good choice for businesses that want an easy-to-use platform with lots of features. Wordpress is a good choice for businesses that want a more customizable platform. Magento is a good choice for businesses that need a robust platform with advanced features.
Headless Ecommerce solution-CMS backend-Frontend developing using modern technology. Next.js, Remix, etc.
Headless ecommerce is a solution that allows businesses to decouple their online stores from the rest of their website. This means that they can manage their store using a separate backend, which can be hosted on a different platform or even in a different country. The advantage of this approach is that it allows businesses to scale their ecommerce operations without affecting the performance of their main website. It also gives them the flexibility to easily change the look and feel of their store without having to redevelop their entire website.
5 Do you have any examples of your work that I can see?
Do not hesitate to ask your potential web design company for a portfolio of their work. You should see a mix of styles and effective designs that you can select from. This will show that they are well versed in the field of web page design, and that they understand how to begin the process. Inquire about any challenges they encountered during their projects, and how they solved them. All these factors play an important role in choosing a web designer for your project.
How do you approach website design projects? Do you have a process or methodology?
Designers typically use a standard website design process, which involves the following steps: information gathering, planning, mockups/wireframes, design, development, testing and delivery. Ask your designer if they follow this process and how they approach each step in the project. This will give you an idea of whether or not they’re organized and have a clear vision for your project.
Conclusion
Asking questions is a great way to get to know someone, and the same goes for websites. When you're getting started with a new website, it's important to ask the right questions so you can make sure you’re going to get a great website at the end of the process.
Of course people have more questions when it comes to getting a website for their business. This post covers some of the important ones to make your journey easier. On other blog posts on our website we answer more of the questions about the cost, the process and what is important for your website