Website discovery is an integral part of the web development process for web designers. An effective discovery phase facilitates open communication that will drive your project closer to success. When all is said and done, the end result should be a responsive and engaging website that helps achieve specific business goals. For some, the goal is simple: “get me a Webby Award worthy website with all the bells as whistles.”
If you are a customer in search of a marketing, e-commerce platform, or a basic corporate site, then it’s in your best interest to design according to a methodology that will net a high return on your investment. Without a proper understanding of how your business defines value, this is nearly impossible to achieve. While this process may seem ambiguous and even daunting, if you’re new to the website design process and don’t know how to communicate your wants and needs, an experienced web or app developer should be able to coach you along the way.
To ensure the delivery of a quality website, here are some questions you can expect to hear from a developer during a website discovery session.
1. What is the Desired Project Outcome?
This question is simple. What are you looking to gain from your website? What is the end goal for your web visitors? This question is important because there are many types of websites that all serve various purposes.
If you sell online products, then your website will need to be designed as a marketplace. If you’re a consultant, an ideal website will resemble a portfolio to paint you as an authority in your niche.
Overall, be clear about the desired outcome of your project, whether you just need to capture leads for newsletter sign-ups or you’re selling physical products.
2. What is the Project’s Expected Timeframe?
On average, it takes about 14 weeks to complete a full website project. This timeframe can vary depending on the agency or developer you work with. Generally, this timeframe budgets 3 weeks for discovery, 6 weeks for design, 3 weeks of initial development time, and 2 weeks of modifications. Depending on client responsiveness and the actual scope of a web project, there may be a great deal of variance from start to finish.
If you have a specific deadline in mind to align with the launch of your business, then don’t hesitate to announce that your website must be completed at a reasonable date.
Nonetheless, you shouldn’t be unreasonable with your deadline or contact a developer near this launch and expect them to rush on your project.
Web agencies and developers generally balance several web projects every month, so it’s nearly impossible to convince them to treat your project like a top priority.
3. Have You Considered a Budget for Routine Maintenance and Updates?
After your website is finished, are you and your team going to manage it? If not, then you need to have a budget in place for your developer to provide routine maintenance for your website.
Website maintenance is vital for your web visitors. Consumers expect updated content at all times, so make sure you think long and hard about upkeeping your website after its completion.
4. Who is Your Target End-User and What are Their Expectations?
At the end of the day, websites aren’t designed to look good. Successful businesses leverage their websites to secure conversions for long-term growth.
To achieve increased conversions, your developer will need in-depth information about your target end-user, or simply your target audience.
By providing them this information, your developer can design a website that speaks directly to your target audience, which will lead to more sales opportunities.
In our experience, the website discovery process can usually take up to three weeks but we’ve also seen it happen in as little as three days. If you’re ready to learn how to turn your online presence into one that is revenue generating and customer nurturing, contact Agency Partner Interactive today.