7 things to prepare before you hire a web designer

Most website projects that run late don't run late in design or code. They wait on decisions and content. Come to the first call with these seven things and your project starts faster, and your quote is more exact.

1. Your number one goal

Before colours or fonts, decide the single most important job the site has. Bring in enquiries through a form? Sell products? Show your expertise through articles? One clear goal shapes every design and build decision after it.

2. Your audience

"Everyone" is not an audience. Describe your ideal customer: their industry, their problems, and what they come to your site to find. A site for a 22-year-old student looks and reads very differently from one for a 55-year-old director.

3. Your content

This is the step that delays projects most, which is why our timelines count from content received. Start gathering:

• Logo: high-resolution, ideally a vector file (.ai, .eps or .svg).
• Copy: company profile, service descriptions, product details.
• Photos: your team, products or workplace. Good stock photos work, but your own are better.

4. Your must-have features

List what the site needs to reach its goal, not every feature you've seen elsewhere. Common ones: a contact form, a gallery, online booking, a blog, client quotes.

5. Three sites you like, and a few you don't

Examples are the fastest way to share your taste. Say what you like about each one: the layout, the colours, how easy it is to find things. Sites you dislike help just as much.

6. A realistic budget

Share a range up front. It lets us suggest what fits, rather than guess. Our website plan gives you a price range, and what to fix first, in about 90 seconds.

7. Your brand message

What makes you different from your competitors? What should every visitor understand within five seconds of landing on your homepage? This becomes the base for your headlines and copy.