When you delegate someone a task, you have to make sure that the person has the required information to complete the task. So, when you ask a freelance web designer to create a website for you, you can’t just say “Please create a website for me” and then expect the website to be completed a few weeks later. Its also not enough to dump the web designer with a book with all the information and ask the web designer to sort out the content and decide the pages for you. If you don’t personally oversee the project, the website would most likely not turn out the way you want it. It might not even be completed at all because the designer is confused and does not have a clear direction. In short, when you delegate the job to the web designer, you as the client have to play an active role throughout the web design process. This will ensure that everything goes smoothly and the website can be completed on time.
At the initial stage when requesting a quote from the designer, it would be helpful if the client knows the number pages required for the project and the type of design that they require. They should also show the designer some sample designs that they like so that the designer knows their expectation. For instance, the client may require a very polished and impressive looking website, like an advertising agency standard. Or the client may want something really creative and colourful.
At this point the web designer can also meet up with the client, and the client can tell their story or their vision for the company business, target market, purpose for creating the website and any other expectations they have for their business / website. This will give the web designer more details about the business, thus will design the website to cater to that purpose.
Writeups for your website can be prepared in MS word and you can put all your photos or scanned articles in a CD for the designer. You can also pass your logo and other existing marketing materials you have to the designer e.g. if you already have some old advertisements, banners or brochures and you want to use back the design you can pass it to the designer. You can also specify the details you want to put in the online forms e.g. if you want an online order form or reservation form. If you need web hosting you can also decide on a domain name for your website.
It would be great if the client has decided on what pages they need in the site. If you have many pages in your website, you might want to spend some time finalizing the content in house with your managers etc before you hand the content to the designer. As an outside contractor I would not be able to prepare and write the content for you because only you are familiar with your own company and can decide what content to put in. It would be like your corporate profile and normally you can just recycle the information from your corporate profile. If you have any organization chart or any other charts and graphics to put in you can also pass it to the designer.
Usually, communication will be through email so please check your email regularly. Give feedback on designs sent by the designer and make decisions on what designs to use. After website is almost completed, it would be great if the client checks the content for any mistakes or ask their friends / team to provide feedback and ideas on how to improve the site. The client can also continue to give the designer additional info they want to put in the website or any corrections to the website content.
We would appreciate if the client can pay us on time. It would be even better if the client can bank in the money for me.
In conclusion, clients have to play their part in the web design process.
This includes providing information for the designer to get the job done
and providing timely feedback to that things can keep moving along and the
project can be completed on time.