Before I start on any new website project, I find it is really important to give some time to challenging my clients to really think what their idea for their website project is going to be, and to make sure that it is worth the investment that will be required by both parties to realize it online. So I have some basic questions I pose for each propose project and to each client, and thought it might be helpful to share my process. This list is by no means inclusive…actually my full list is exhausting, but this gives a good basic start to my process. Hope you find it useful!

Budget

As crass as it sounds, the first question off the bat should be what the budget of your potential client is. I find that helps at the onset to get an idea of what they can afford and it lets you shape the conversation of what they want – which will come next. It just helps me get an idea of what their figures are, so when then start to talk about what they want to see, I can think of some alternate ideas in my head if the standard way of doing things is not going to match their budget. They have no idea really, of what they are asking for and how that equates in time and money, but you do – so get that established for them right away.

But Why?

So, why does the client really want this website? If the client has a hard time answering this, any further questions you propose are going to be difficult for them to answer. At this stage, if you find the client can’t really answer this, your job is to steer them to a place to consider what they need. Is their site a lead-generational tool, are they highlighting a service or need to offer customer support via their site? Just little things you can talk to them about to help them get a clearer understanding of why they really need a website.

Who Are They Trying to Reach?

Identifying who is going to use your client’s site is so important. It helps shape your content strategy. Also with this, knowing what they want from their website visitors is extremely important. Clear and easy calls to action are essential, and this is something you really need to spend time with your client discussing so you have the full picture and know how to implement lead nurturing processes though out the site.

Who Will Maintain Their site?

Once it’s built, maintaining a website is a major ongoing effort and really impressing this upon your client is key. Many clients assume that this task can be just folded in to the already long list of responsibilities of someone in their marketing department. Perhaps this is realistic for some, but not many. The amount of work required to maintain a website should correlate to the level of expectation for its value as a business tool.  And this concept doesn’t mean that if you build the site on top of a Content Management System that your role in shaping this concept is over after launch. A CMS allows clients to update the site basic content themselves, but it doesn’t substitute for someone tracking and nurturing leads, evaluating site performance with various measurement tools, planning for and managing ongoing upgrades, and all kinds of engagement activity necessary to generate valuable traffic to it. If you are the person that can impress this upon the client, the odds are that you will be the one they turn to to manage their site after it is built.

Ready? Then Get To It!

These are just a few basic ideas I take into my initial client meetings. However, each of these is just a starting point in an often long and complex designer-client relationship. Along the way, you may find yourself coming back to these points, expanding and finding new issues to discuss.

Just remember that this process is as fluid as the web is. It should evolve naturally during your partnership with your client. If you go in feeling that it is a partnership, both you and client will come out at the end of it feeling as though you have both gained from it.