5 Things You Should Do Before Hiring a Brand and Web Designer

Have you looked at your website and branding lately and thought ...

"Meh! This could be better?"

Or even said, "It's doing its job, but I'm not super proud of it."

Or how about, "Wow, I really don't want my clients to see this."

I understand the growing pains of having an outdated website which can do more harm in the long run.

Knowing your design isn't living up to its potential can slow your momentum and keep your business stuck.

So, what's your next step?

Hire a brand and web designer to redesign your website.

The sooner you begin working with a designer, the sooner you’ll experience the significant impact great design can have on your business's success.

A well-crafted brand identity and website can give your business an edge over competitors and position you to stand out in a crowded market.

Did you know “it takes about 50 milliseconds (ms) (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they’ll stay or leave”?

Your website visitors make snap judgments about your business based on your design and branding.

But beyond the visually appealing design, working with a designer can provide the clarity you need to reignite your vision and serve as a catalyst to the next level.

Sounds great, right?

You know the value of great design but may not know what’s required to work with a designer.

While the benefits and return on investment are undeniable, getting there will take time, effort, and resources.

Before hiring a brand and web designer, here are five things you should do to ensure a successful design project and create a brand and website you and your audience love.

1) Develop clear goals for your website project

First things first, know what you want to accomplish. Developing clear goals is a great way to guarantee success.

With web design and branding, it’s easy to think: “If you build it, they will come.”

But that’s not always the case.

Setting clear goals and understanding your KPIs (key performance indicators) will set up your website for intentional success rather than hoping your audience will flock to you.

First, start with SMART goals

I love a good framework! SMART goals are my go-to when creating clear and measurable project goals.

Your goal should be:

Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Relevant – Time-Bound

Start by brainstorming what you want to accomplish with your website. Are you looking to generate leads for your business? Increase brand awareness? Sell products or services?

What is your overall goal for your website? What does success look like for you? How will achieving this goal impact your business in the short and long term?

Develop a list of high-level goals you’d like to achieve from your website, so you can communicate what’s important to your designer.

A great designer can problem-solve and support you in breaking down your goals into actionable strategies.

For example, if your goal is to increase discovery call bookings by 75%, this may look like having call-to-actions strategically placed throughout the site to encourage booking a call.

It’s important to know what success looks like for YOU!

And your goals can be more than just monetary conversions. As you build your business for the long-term, success could also look like growing an email list from a strategic opt-in form on your site or increasing engagement with your blog posts and content.

Knowing the purpose and goals of your website will help you create a better user experience and guarantee a more successful design project.

2) Have an understanding of your brand's foundations

Your brand foundations are guideposts to who you are and where you’re headed.

Imagine an iceberg.

Everything you see at the top includes the final visual design and brand identity, but imagine what’s underneath…

That’s your brand’s foundation.

This is also known as Brand Strategy.

If you’ve been in business for three or more years and have iterated through several versions of your brand, you can decide to work with a designer and brand strategist to develop these elements alongside you. But if you are a newer business, you want to develop a baseline for these elements to get you started.

Let’s break down the foundational elements you’ll want to develop before starting on your website:

“Why” Statement
Mission and Vision
Ideal Client Avatar
Brand Story
Service Offerings
Brand’s Voice And Tone
Brand's Design Style

These foundational elements are living and breathing, meaning they’ll continue to be refined as you grow your business.

Pro Tip: Instead of only considering where you are now, think about where you want to go.

Who is that dream client? Not just the person you’re working with now.

How are they different from each other?

What services do you want to offer in 3-5 years? How will your current services set you up for that business stage?

What do you want to be known for in your industry, and how will this website position you for future success?

Communicating this vision will help your designer craft a brand and website that’ll grow with you now and in the future.

I wrote an article here, 5 Ways to Level Up Your Brand as a Coach & Consultant, that provides guidelines to get you started on refining and developing these foundational elements.

3) Create a list of features and capabilities you want your website to include

Once you know your goals and have defined your brand's foundational elements, create a list of the features and capabilities you want to include in your website.

This is where you put your goals into action and determine how your website will support you in achieving these goals. These features will also determine the type of experience your audience has.

For example, if you're renovating your kitchen, having automated smart appliances will provide a different culinary experience than conventional appliances. Your designer can make recommendations based on your stage of business.

So, how do you determine what capabilities you want your website to include?

You can consider the following questions to get you started:

What essential functions does my website need to do?
What are some of the bottlenecks in my current website?
What processes do I want to automate and streamline?
What features will make it easy for website visitors to engage with my site?
What are DREAM website features I'd love the have?

Once you know what features your website needs, consider what website platform will help you reach your goals.

Do a little research on the website platforms available in the market

Choosing the right website platform for your needs can be a difficult decision, so lean on your designer to support you in this selection.

Each platform has pros and cons and differs by budget, capabilities, and maintenance.

For example, Wix and Squarespace are great for growing businesses and easy to maintain. A platform such as WordPress provides capabilities for customization and is great for navigating many pages and a large amount of content.

Shopify is an excellent option for e-commerce-based businesses with 30+ products, while Webflow may be an option for unique animation and an out-of-the-box user experience. But even with that said, each platform offers options to custom-code your website for a unique experience.

Here are a few questions you can run by your designer as you choose the best platform for your website:

What type of website do I need? Informational, E-Commerce, Blog, Membership, Portfolio, etc.?
Will I need to add additional features as my business grows?
What type of customer support is available with this platform?
Can I maintain my website independently, or will it require ongoing maintenance from my designer?

And if you don’t know, that’s perfectly fine! These questions are to get you thinking in the right direction. Always consult your designer to determine the right fit for you and your business.

4) Gather and develop your content

This is the meat of your website!

Your content, including copywriting and images, will determine how your designer strategically crafts your website.

Having this ready to go will provide your designer with everything they need to create a site based on the look and feel of your brand identity, story, and personality.

I recommend spending time on this and being as thorough as possible. In this step, you may want to invest in a copywriter and professional photographer to take branded headshots.

Why is high-quality website content so important?

Your content, the words you say, and the images you use help build trust and connection with your ideal clients. It helps differentiate your brand from competitors, so they’ll choose to work with you over someone else.

Your designer will take your content and create a layout that engages and guides your ideal client through the story of who you are, what you have to offer, and how you can support them.

So, what content should you provide your web designer for a high-quality user experience?

Here is a list of content options to engage your audience:

Your website copywriting
Professional headshots
High-quality stock images
Strong testimonials
Logos of reputable brands you’ve worked with
An outline of your service offerings
A list of SEO keywords

And if you choose to write your copy, ask your designer if they provide copy prompts or guides to get you started. Your designer may also support you in curating a package of stock images that align with your branding and brand identity.

Needless to say, the better your content, the better experience your audience will have.

5) Be committed to the process

Starting a new project is so exciting but requires your time, energy, and commitment. Your designer has spent years training and developing their craft and process and knows what it takes for a successful project.

This is your opportunity to get the support you need to fast-track your business growth. There are three requirements I’ve found that create a successful partnership and amazing final product:

TIME COMMITMENT

Ask your designer how long this process generally takes and be committed to the process. Your designer may require quick feedback and prompt responses. Consider what’s suitable for you and your schedule. Once you book your project, your designer will likely schedule your project weeks or months in advance to give you time to prepare all of the items above. Make sure your mark your calendar for when you’ll need to be available for meetings and feedback.

BUDGET

Investing in yourself and your business is one of the best decisions you can make. Imagine the return on investment from having professional-level branding and design that attracts the clients you want to work with. That’s priceless! Costs vary by designer and project scope, so be sure to ask your designer about pricing and payment schedules.

ENERGY AND COLLABORATION

The most successful projects are ones fueled by high energy and collaboration. Design is a team sport and is best when everyone is dedicated to making the project successful. This means attending scheduled meetings and respecting everyone’s time and effort.

Ready to get started on your next design project?

I consider myself more than your service provider. I’m your partner in design! I’m in your corner, cheering for you and your success.

I’ve helped countless coaches, consultants, and small businesses grow their audiences, become industry leaders, and hit revenue goals over the past 12 years.

I’d love to support you and help you achieve the same!

Here’s what Rebecca had to say about our time working together:

“Sharece made what can be a cumbersome process easy from start to finish. From day one, she was proactive, professional, and provoked critical conversations about our business.
Sharece is more than a website designer: she is a brand-builder, a creative, an engineer, a copywriter, and a visionary. From our conversations and the resulting work, it was clear that Sharece believed in us. That was absolutely priceless.
We're looking forward to launching our first course, building a community through our free offerings, and using everything Sharece taught us during our off-boarding call (and the detailed materials she sent after it) to iterate on our offerings based on early learnings we glean from our clients.”
- Rebecca Stump, Full Plate Full Cup Co-Founder