As a website designer myself, I’ve been on plenty of free consult calls or discovery calls. A free consult call is the first step in making sure that the client-customer relationship and process will be smooth, and ultimately, that you both will be a great fit! Because that is SO important in a business relationship.

Considering I am 5 years into running my own web-design and branding business, it’s pretty easy for me to identify the clients that know more about the website design process versus the clients that don’t – based on the questions they ask me.

Now, it’s completely OK to not know how the design process works! That’s why I want to equip you with the basic tools you need to enter into the consult call with confidence. These tools come in the form of questions. So I am sharing the top 5 questions to ask your website designer on a free consult call to make sure you are getting all the information you need to help you pick the best web designer for your project (whether or not that’s me)!

1.   Does their portfolio vibe with your style?

Your first step is to browse through web designer’s portfolios. This gives you a chance to assess their design style. For example, mine is right here. When you are browsing through their portfolios, think about if the designer’s finished products are something you can envision for your online business. More importantly, would you be happy having your website design look like that?

• Yes?! Great, you will probably work well together.
• No?! Perhaps you should keep looking until you come across a style that resonates more with your personality and how you want your business portrayed.

2.   What is their experience?

Having experience is always valuable. Especially in website design. Now I am not dissing the newbies, because everyone has to start somewhere! But great designers usually have a wait time. If they can start tomorrow, that usually is not a great sign. And you don’t want to gamble your business aesthetics and your money on that.

Experience can also include the types or variety of websites they have designed. Have they done eCommerce and creative coaches’ sites? This diverse experience gives your designer more to pull from when they are creating yours, possibly making a unique and valuable website for you!

In contrast, if a designer specializes in creating sites only for a specific niche, then you are hiring an expert who will create a perfectly correlating website for your business. For example, if you are a freelance accountant and you find a web designer that specializes in designs that include embedded excel sheets, you may have found your perfect designer. Just, beware of cookie-cutter sites if they only cater to a very specific niche! You don’t want the same website as 1,056 other people.

3.   What is their site design process like?

The design process can be a huge part of the website design! I, personally, think it’s important for you, as the client, to be very involved in the process. You should ask, upfront, if you will be part of the process and approve the work as the project progresses during the free consult call.

For example, I include my clients in the entire process of the design by giving them various checkpoints to approve or disapprove of the design as it progresses. I use boards and flow charts on Asana that indicate how many rounds of revisions they get and what I need from them prior/during/after the design process. Make sure the designer you pick does something similar! It is your website after all and you should have a say during the design process!

4.   Ask about the maintenance after the website is designed

There will inevitably come a time in the future when you need or want to alter your site. Often, your designer will be available for minor tweaks or upkeep depending on your contract specifications. But make sure you clarify this in your consult call!

I provide my clients with prerecorded video training to help with any areas of website maintenance they might need. This allows for the final website release to be completely ready for my clients to take full control, manage and update their content and site going forward.

5.   Is SEO integration included?

We all know SEO optimization is crucial to have in any website. Therefore, you should make sure your web designer has SEO as part of their process. I would even go as far as saying a website designer should have a detailed plan for SEO integration ready to go – meaning they can easily answer this question in a consult call with a resounding YES. Your web designer should know that SEO good practice means incorporating it into your site from the very beginning, not at the end. Asking this question will save you so much hassle and time in the long run. I promise!

Conclusion

I LOVE when potential clients ask me a lot of questions. So don’t get deterred by thinking you will annoy them with too many! Questions are a great way to find out what you need to know while also getting to know the designer and their processes. Asking questions better positions you to determine whether who you are hiring knows their craft and whether they will be a good fit for you. And this is so important!

Interested in checking out my portfolio to see if we would be a great fit? Click here to browse! Or contact me for a free consult call so you can start asking these questions, today!