7 Questions to Ask Before Building a Client's First Website

Every time you embark on a new project to design a web page, always start the process with a meeting. This is a very important step because you have the opportunity to ask everything to know the main thing of what your client needs. This meeting is much more important if you work with a client who has never gone through this process. Either a startup or an existing company that has never been encouraged to enter the world of Internet marketing, you're going to have to work a lot. But if before you start, ask some questions to your new client, you will begin to have a better idea than what they want exactly and how you can help them. Prepare yourself when your clients do not have the answers to all your questions at the moment, many questions will surprise you. After all, they have never had a website, and they may never have stopped to think about what elements make up one. If this happens, be sure to make a list of the questions that your client could not answer at the time and send a follow-up email with the same questions. It would be advantageous for both if you put a delivery date because many customers (especially new ones) tend to take too long to provide this type of information.

Many entrepreneurs can answer the question "What does your company do?" With ease, this helps you in your sales pitch, a version that goes straight to the point (the kind of quick speech you would give someone in an elevator). Since the company's website is basically an online version of the sales pitch, you have to call attention and carry a simple message in just seconds, knowing that this information will help you to condense a lot of information on what is really relevant. This will allow you to design a much more attractive homepage that will immediately get your target audience's attention, and who knows? Hold them.

Do you have a domain name?

Domain names can cause anxiety in new clients, simply because they understand that it is much more difficult to start using another one midway. If you already have one and you have a presence (it's simple and easy to remember), then the mission is completed. But if you still do not have one, the idea is to sit down with them and think together, trying to create the perfect domain for your business .. While domains with keywords are not as available as before, they can help in SEO, so I always offer this advice. But do not use much spam, ideally, your domain reflects your brand. Make good use of keywords or keywords, and remember that your domain is as short as possible.

What is the purpose/purpose of the website?

Web pages must have a well-defined purpose that helps companies achieve a specific purpose. For some, as retailers, their goal is to sell their products; For others, like a spa is getting emails and appointments online. Each web page is different and many clients do not have a clear purpose in mind. You would not imagine how many customers are targeting just "providing information". This is the case 99% of the time. If clients do not reach a clear goal/purpose in mind, invest a few minutes helping them to decide one. If the objective is not obvious, then at least the objective should be to attract customers.

Who is your target audience?

As in any marketing class, the approach you take will vary depending on whom you talk to. A website dedicated to teenagers will look very different from one dedicated to executives. Make sure you know as much as possible about the market of your target audience. Some factors that you must take into consideration are:

Age

Gender

Average income

Race

Civil status

Of course, you can not put all the marked goals in the same bag, but if there are tendencies that lean towards one or the other, then design based on it. The design halfway with a view to satisfying everyone rarely does.

What web pages do you like?

This question is controversial in design circles. Some designers hate to ask that. However, in my experience, this always helps to have a better idea. In the first meeting, see some examples of web pages that are of your client's liking. Does this mean blindly copying all the properties to your business? Of course not. (Never copy web pages that inspire you because they only exist for that: inspiration.) Any example should work like a grain of sand, but if they reflect your client's goals, then it's a good place to start.

Do you already have some materials?

This may include a logo, brochures or something that has already been designed for your client. The logical question that follows would be "How much do you want me to stick to these materials?" Maybe your client has a logo that he wants to stick to; maybe you do not like it very much (this is where you can add value and earn some more money), Or maybe they have a brand image established in printed materials and they want to follow that line on their website. It's worth discussing this topic with your client to see how much freedom you have in your designs.

How much time do you want to devote to the design of this page weekly?

One of the main aspects of "new SEO" is the creation of stable and regular content (Google detests the pages that stays static). If it is important for your client to appear in the search results, then you need to determine if you are willing to invest the time necessary to reap the benefits. For example, if your client tells you that they do not have the time to add new content in article format, then think twice about how much weight you will give to the navigation in the section for the blog or if you are going to add that section. Alternatively, if your client wants to provide testimonial videos of previous clients, then design a section for them. It's all about having a customized solution for what your customers want and not do.

Final comments

It can be very exciting to design the first web page of a client. Without being overwhelmed by an existing page, the tests are open in terms that you can contribute to the project; and your client may also be excited about it. Also, if you formulate the right and intelligent questions, it will be much easier to design and present a web page that helps your client achieve their goals; and when this happens, you will be in a better position to keep them as a fixed client.

Seeing this on the client's side, it is very important to choose the right web design agency, one that has support and experience. If you are looking for an agency like that, KSoft has 9 years of experience in the field of web design, digital marketing, and brand image. We offer the complete package that can help you achieve your goals. Do not hesitate to contact us!