The desire to own a website is the first step on a journey that can be either pleasant and productive or a minefield of frustration and hidden costs. The difference lies in how well you prepare for the conversation with your web developer and the quality of the communication you establish from day one.
- Preparation – the foundation of a successful collaboration
Before you reach out to any developer, clarify your own needs and objectives. Many clients contact developers with vague ideas such as “I want a nice site for my business.” This inevitably leads to confusion, extra costs and results that miss the mark.
Start by defining the site’s purpose.
- Present company services?
- Sell products online?
- Build a community blog?
- Showcase a professional portfolio?
Each goal requires different features, budgets and timelines.
Next, identify your target audience. A site aimed at teenagers will look and behave very differently from one targeting financial professionals. Age, interests and online behaviour of your visitors will influence design, structure and functionality.
Budget is the topic many clients avoid, hoping to get “the best deal.” In reality, being transparent about the budget lets the developer propose realistic solutions and saves everyone’s time.
- First meeting – the questions that matter
When you sit down with a prospective developer, the quality of the questions you ask will largely determine project success. A professional developer appreciates a client who asks the right questions.
Understand the workflow. A well-organised developer can clearly explain every stage: brief → wireframes → design → development → testing. Vague or evasive answers are a red flag.
Technical aspects should not be a black box. Even if you can’t code, you deserve to know which technologies will be used and why. In 2024, responsive design, SEO basics and fast load times are standard, not extras.
Key questions to ask
- “What is your typical timeline for a project like mine?”
- “How do you handle change requests after we start?”
- “What deliverables will I receive at each milestone?”
- “Who owns the code and the design once the project is finished?”
- “How do you ensure the site is fast, secure and SEO-friendly?”
- Effective communication – the art of being understood
The way you give feedback can make the difference between an excellent result and a mediocre one. Avoid vague comments like “I don’t like how it looks.” Instead, be specific:
Bad: “The button looks wrong.”
Good: “The button’s colour clashes with our brand palette; please use #0052CC and make it 12 px larger.”
Stick to agreed deadlines. If the developer needs assets or feedback by a certain date, deliver them. Client delays always cascade into late launches.
- Red flags and quality indicators
- Unrealistic promises (“We’ll finish in three days!”)
- No questions about your business, goals or audience
- Evasive when discussing costs or timelines
- Refusal to explain technical choices
- Demands 100 % payment up front
Quality indicators
- Asks detailed questions about your users and goals
- Provides a clear, written proposal with scope, timeline and cost
- Explains maintenance and post-launch support
- Offers training on basic content updates
- Uses version control and staging environments
- Building a long-term relationship
A website is not a finished product; it evolves. Technologies change, business needs shift and content must stay fresh. Treat the developer as a long-term partner, not a one-off supplier.
Discuss maintenance up front
- Who updates content?
- How are backups handled?
- What happens if the site goes down?
- How are security patches applied?
Invest in your own digital education. Ask the developer to show you how to add a blog post, change contact details or upload a new product image. If they refuse, they may be trying to lock you into paid micro-updates forever.
- The bottom line
Success is 50 % the developer’s technical skill and 50 % clear communication and collaboration. A well-prepared client who communicates effectively will always get better results—on time and on budget.
Remember, a quality website is an investment in your business’s future. The time you spend finding the right developer and setting up great communication will pay you back many times over. In the digital age, your website is often the first impression you make—make it memorable for all the right reasons.
