Before Hiring a Website Designer

Okay, so you’ve got your new business idea up and running, you have an active social media presence and getting bookings through referrals and networking, and now you’re looking to establish a more professional online presence.

You need a website, but where to start?

Understanding Your Needs for a Speedier Design Process

As a savvy business owner, having a clear vision of your website design needs and wants can significantly turbocharge the design process. It's like asking a builder to construct your dream house without mentioning the number of rooms or your budget - not the most efficient approach, right?

By jotting down your preferences, desired features, and any specific functionalities you're after, you're essentially laying the groundwork for a smoother and faster design journey. Think of it as creating a handy roadmap that guides both you and your designer towards the ultimate goal.

Plus, consolidating all these gems in one easily accessible spot, like a shared drive, ensures that everyone is on the same page and can refer back to details whenever needed. So, let's make sure we're speaking the same design language to bring your digital dream to life!

Before you do anything, your first step should be purchasing your domain name to match your business name. Consistency is key and ideally you will have the same name across your social media channels as well as your website domain name.
We recommend purchasing your domain(s) through a large third party provider such as GoDaddy so you remain in control at all times. This means that you get to keep your domain name even if you choose to move to a different website platform - it’s just a matter of linking to your new site.
Having a business email like hello@yourbusiness.com creates a professional impression with potential clients.
There are different providers, and many choose Google (or GMail) so that it links into a Google Account. This in turn can link to Google Analytics and Google Console, which can be linked to your website to assist with tracking your website analytics and SEO.
A website designer will help you structure your site so it is logically set out and easy for a visitor to navigate, but you still need to sit down and work out what you want to have displayed. The main pages such as HOME and CONTACT are a given, but what about the others?
Will you have a TEAM page with individual profiles? Do you feel it’s important to include your mission and values? Will you have individual pages for the different services / products you offer, or just an overview page with a brief description of each one?
We recommend a quick read of another HLD blog post - What should I have on my Business Website?- to go through the main pages, and perhaps offer a little inspiration.
Perhaps the hardest part of the website process - it’s always difficult to promote yourself!
If you’re not sure how to describe what you offer, you can hire a copywriter to help highlight what you do. Or if you’re on a tight budget, sit down with your smartphone and hit record. Imagine you are describing what you offer to a brand new customer. When you’re finished, listen back to what you have said and write it down. You may want to fine-tune it a little before it goes on your website, but it’s a great starting point and avoids ‘writer’s block’!
The beauty of Squarespace is that it is easy to update / edit any text on your site at any time.
Images are a powerful way to express your brand visually. They can convey a meaning, or represent a complex idea more effectively than a description, and help visitors to your website understand who you are and what you provide within moments.
Where possible, all images (including logos and profile pictures) should be high resolution and in either .jpg or .png format. Again, your website designer can advise on whether your current imagery is suitable, especially with a rebrand.
Stock photos have improved significantly and there are now a mix of free and paid sites where you can access images that will set the tone for your site. We can also help source royalty free stock images to match your branding.
To read more about how images can ‘make or break’ your website, read our blog post - A picture is worth a thousand words
Are you selling physical or digital products and / or services?
How many will be displayed initially and how often will you be updating them in the future?
Are your customers paying a one-off fee or annual / monthly subscriptions?
If you are shipping locally / nationally have you researched postage options and taxes?
What about your delivery, refund and returns policies?
Do you have product images, descriptions, variants, pricing?
From basic links to Facebook and LinkedIn, to displaying Instagram feeds, Squarespace allows you to display your social media accounts to help keep your online eco-system alive.
Blog posts can also be pushed to some of your social media accounts as soon as you publish them - saving you some time! So, make sure you have those links and login details handy when looking to set up your website.
It may seem old school, but direct emails to interested customers are still effective (as long as the content is relevant and interesting!). If you are wanting to target visitors to your site, include a newsletter subscription option.
Depending on your business, you may want potential customers to book an appointment or make a reservation with you.
A third party booking system could fit your needs allowing online visitors to schedule free consultations, book and pay for a service, order a takeaway, or even purchase a ticket to an upcoming event.
Australian privacy legislation now requires all Australian websites to post a Privacy Policy statement if they collect any customer or website visitor information such as email addresses, physical addresses, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, etc.
Even if you have a basic contact form on your website you MUST have a Privacy Policy. If you are marketing to a global audience you will need to check on being GDPR compliant as the privacy laws differ for other countries.
You will definitely require a cookies policy pop-up on your website if you are offering services to an overseas market.
If you are selling products, whether it be through an e-commerce shop set-up, or via order forms, it is strongly advised that you include Terms and Conditions on your website.
It is up to you to produce terms and conditions / privacy policy that is relevant to your business. A website designer can then create the pages and have the link displayed prominently on the site (usually in the footer section).