It’s Monday again and I got to thinking in regard to why in some cases it takes the client a while to get us developers the things we need to get their project going. I came to the conclusion that they usual haven’t thought about the answers to a few key questions I think we all ask. This is not an exhaustive list but I think these are some key questions we need answered even before we start design their website. Here goes:

1.      What does your business actually do?

They need to be able to articulate both orally and in print exactly what there business does. Going through the process of actually creating print for what they do and the services they provide basically generates at least the bare-bone content for a possible company profile and/or services page.

2.      What do you want your site to accomplish?

This is quite a big one for us designers/developers. If a client tells us that their goal is to just promote what they do than okay, we will create a sequence on their homepage promote their services more. On the other hand, if a client says I sells stuff and thus need to create a e-mail list to which I can sells products than as a developer/designer we will need to think about a sequence of purposeful events that will lead a user to give the client their e-mail address with their consent and stay on that list. Assuming the client has a well thought out process of promoting products to those clients he/she will probably convert these subscribers to clients. My point here is that design should be based on what the website has set out to accomplish,

3.      Do you have a website already?

If a client already has a website, then as designers/developers we most probably need to design around their existing branding.

4.      What makes your company remarkable?

We as developers/designers need to know what sets you apart from your competition so that we can emphasize that unique edge you have.

5.      Who are your competitors?

We need to know your competition so that we can figure out a way to make you stand out. So if they have websites than make a list for us so we can take a look.

6.      Who exactly are your customers?

Tell us the people you are targeting so that we can tailor the experience they have when visiting your site to their needs. If the answer is everyone than, you need to dig deeper and figure out want the ideal customer visiting your site would really like to be able to see or do on it.

7.      What features do you want your website to have?

Your client need to know what feature they want so that they also are aware that adding a feature later will cost them more money. There’s a different if a client says I need a way for my clients to contact me from them saying I need a fully functional e-shop Client need to give this a bit of thought. Needing a gallery is one thing but renting real-estate is something very different.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at info@georgenicolaou.me