Developing a website is a long and iterative process. It might take from few weeks to months. It’s quite easy to loose track while designing and developing a website. To make sure you are on the right track we have compiled a list of important questions before building a website.
Here are 12 questions to answer before you design and develop a website
The planning of your website
It is required to know the developer’s way of building website. It is one of the factor to consider for every business owner.
Do you prefer custom design websites or use pre-made templates?
If you want a unique look and functional website designed from scratch you can go for custom design. On the other hand you will get a pre made templates which will be cheaper compared to custom designs and can be similar to other templates.
You can also ask whether they use content management system like Magento or WordPress.
Cost of the website
The cost of the website will depend on number of pages, amount of graphic design work, special features required (newsletter services, contact forms, e-commerce, etc.) will increase the price.
It’s important to get an estimate upfront because each web developer will be having different pricing parameter.
How long the project will take
Beware of the time that will take to complete the process. It also depends on you how quickly you provide the required information such as documentation about the website.
You can also ask the developer/firm about how much time they will be devoting to your project and what if they fail to meet the target date.
What other services do you offer?
Clearly understand about the development firm. What they excel at? Do not make any assumptions that a firm which is good at one thing need not be good at other services.
Many web design companies offer web development, hosting, digital marketing, copywriting, e-commerce solutions. You may feel all these services are related but require different skillset.
What do I need to do?
Understand what you should provide during the development process. Suppose you may need to provide your own copy, it may need a few tweaks for better search engine optimization or the images of your product during the development process.
What if I need to make any changes during development process?
Generally, you will be having an agreement for the unlimited changes or a certain number of revisions. It’s important to analyze the development process and the policy for changes with the design firm.
Will my website supports mobile compatibility, tablet, and other devices?
This is an absolute requirement for every business website. Factors like site speed, responsive website and many more will be considered for search engine rankings.
Which content management system do you use?
You can manage website content with the help of content management system without the need for coding. Make sure whether the system used is third party system or custom built one.
Also you need to check if it supports WordPress and e-commerce platforms, whether it works in all types of browsers, including new and previous versions and about the access to all the functionalities.
What web standards do you follow?
By following current web development standards will make your website work on all operating platforms and in all browsers.
Check whether your firm is current on CSS and HTML standards established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Do you provide web hosting services?
Many companies offer web hosting service as a part of their website services. You need to check factors like bandwidth, processing power and disk space are included, its guaranteed uptime and speed of access, the type of user interface.
What functionality of my website will be tested?
During the testing phase you should determine if it includes testing for syntax errors, cross-browser compatibility, correctly uploaded files, and functionality of forms, links, scripts and other elements on the website.
Do you offer website maintenance?
Make sure whether web design firm offer maintenance services after post launch. This can include like updating content or fixing compatibility issues of your website.
These are some list of questions which might help you in assisting before designing and developing a website. Do let us know your point of view.