I know that this is a common question asked to potential clients who are looking for a site to be built: do you have any examples of things you like on a website? Often, it’s followed up with a request for examples of websites you like, with notations on why you like it. I’ll also ask for examples of things you don’t like on a website and what about it you don’t like.
But I thought you built custom designs!?
You might be wondering why that’s one of the most asked questions by designers. It’s to help guide us into your aesthetic likes.
Clear Vision
But clear vision goes beyond just knowing what you like and don’t like on websites. Clear vision also applies to understanding your business, your vision and your goals for multiple reasons. As I mentioned in Why Content is Required Before Developing Your Site by developing your content to start with, it helps to solidify your vision. The clearer your vision the better it is for:
Pricing
I’ve built sites in the past where I was told early on, it’s just a site with some information on it so people can see a bit more about the business, but I don’t want to use it to sell. To then get given content that wasn’t in the original quote or being asked to make a feature work in a particular way that takes a lot of custom coding.
Revisions
Revisions take time and effort to make. To you, it might just be moving an image or adding something to the menu, but depending on the positioning, the coding, the amount of times you change your mind; it can all add up to time and money.
Deadlines
Ongoing revisions, changes to content, additional features all can push out the agreed upon timeline. Things take time! Especially if the designer thinks that your site has basically been finished and they begin working on other projects (or assigning more time to projects they were already working on).
You Understand Your Business Best
Have the ideas in mind of what you want to achieve BEFORE getting your website designed! It saves you time, finances and being stuck in a revision loop!
So let’s hit the ground running right the first time; the clearer your vision, the better the design will be.
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