When you hire a website designer, you want an attractive website. But you also want people to call, ask about your services, or walk through your door.
A visitor should be able to find out what you do, whether you serve their area, and how to contact you. That should be easy on a phone as well as a desktop computer.
Through my work at Site4Success.com, I've worked on websites for a Prescott insurance agency and a Prescott nonprofit. One needed an online presence. The other already had a website, but it needed rebuilding and updated information. Those are different starting points, and they're worth discussing before anyone starts designing pages.
Bring More Than a List of Services
You know your business. Your designer needs your help to understand it.
Before your first conversation, write down:
- The services you provide.
- The cities or areas you serve.
- The questions customers ask before hiring you.
- What you want visitors to do: call, request a quote, book an appointment, or visit your location.
Don't stop at service names. Explain what each service involves and when someone would need it. If you answer the same question over the phone every week, put it on the list for your designer.
Gather your logo, business photos, and any written material you already have. You don't need to arrive with everything finished, but you do need to agree on who will supply what. If you need photography, a logo, or help writing the pages, ask whether that work is included in the quote.
Ask How the Website Will Work for Your Customers
When you review a designer's previous work, look beyond the colors and photographs. Can you tell what the business does? Is the service area clear? How quickly can you find a phone number or contact form?
Try those same tasks on your phone. Read a service page, open the menu, and find the contact details. Responsive design (layouts that adjust to different screen sizes) should be part of the project, not an extra you remember to ask about at the end.
If you depend on local customers, discuss local search engine optimization (SEO) before the pages are planned. Ask what work is included on the website and whether Google Business Profile setup or updates are a separate service.
Be precise about where you work. Being based in Prescott isn't the same as serving only Prescott. Your designer needs to know whether your customers are nearby, across the surrounding communities, or throughout Arizona.
Two Projects With Different Needs
Cline Mountain Insurance: A Prescott Agency Serving Arizona
Cline Mountain Insurance needed an online presence after the owner took over the agency. The business was based in Prescott but served the entire state of Arizona.
That distinction mattered in our planning: the agency's location and its service area were not the same thing. When briefing your own designer, explain both. Don't assume your business address tells them where your customers are.
Prescottaa: Rebuilding an Existing Website
The Prescott nonprofit behind Prescottaa.org already had a website, but it was weak and poorly maintained. I took it over, rebuilt it in WordPress, and updated the information.
For a project like this, the conversation also needs to cover what happens after launch. Who will make changes? How will you request them? What will ongoing maintenance cost? A new website still needs someone responsible for keeping it current.
Questions to Ask Before You Agree to the Work
Use your first conversation to get clear answers about the scope and price:
- What do you need from me before work begins?
- Who will provide the logo, photographs, and written content?
- How will you organize the services, service area, and contact information?
- How will you check the website on desktop and mobile?
- What local SEO work is included?
- Does the quote include Google Business Profile setup or updates?
- Who will handle maintenance and content changes after launch, and what will that cost?
Ask the designer to put those responsibilities in the proposal. It's easier to sort out missing content or ongoing costs before the work starts.
Before asking for a quote, write down your services, the areas you serve, and the questions customers ask most often. Bring that list to your first conversation with a designer. Then ask what else they need from you.
To see how I handle each of these, review the Site4Success services.
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