PLANNING

Someone asks

You say…

What to ask a client before you start the project Fact finding Know exactly whats needed Know what the client wants Know who the site is aimed at Interviews help us define the project clearly Only by asking questions and getting information, are you able to formulate opinions and ideas for the website Interviewing never stops until the website is delivered

Questionnaires vs. In-person conversation Focus is to ask questions that help define the website Benefits Drawbacks

Why do they want a website? Clears up unrealistic goals A magic fix to a failing business or to triple their sales Copy-cat Understand motivation Helps in guiding the client What do you expect from the site? Communication Look at things in terms of features rather than benefits Make the site better than the competitors

What is their business about? Understand their philosophy and how they want to come across Know as much about what their business does and how they do it before you start thinking about designs might need some follow up What they want their customers to think about them What their long-term goals are

What sets their business apart from the competition? Gives insight into what they feel is important Learn where they emphasize they’re different Great source for finding out what kind of content they should have on their site How long they’ve been in business Being more cutting-edge than their competition

What problems does their business solve? Gets the client thinking in terms of benefits Clients and visitors care about what a company or website can do for them Not necessarily how they do it Example: When someone visits the website of an accountant, they’re not looking for an accountant Looking for someone who can help them better manage their money Looking for someone who can save them money on their taxes or other expenses.

Who are the prospective customers/visitors? A website designed to appeal to 30-something professionals is going to be different than one aimed at young newlyweds or retirees affects the look and feel of the site, and also affect usability and accessibility issues

What do they want customers/visitors do on the site? Sets goals Purchase something Sign up for free trial Request more information

The Money question Budget Relationship Some businesses have no idea how much a website generally costs Guide by giving some examples Relationship If a client isn’t willing to talk honestly about money, will they be upfront about other things throughout the design process? You want a client who can communicate effectively with you

Target Date People aren’t very realistic about how much time a website takes to complete don’t understand how much work a website takes to design and code non-designers think the software does all the work, and the designer does little more than push a few buttons easier to adjust their expectations at the beginning than it is when you’ve already started working on their site

Long-term plans for the site What they do tell you: Just want a simple website with a few pages about their products and some photos don’t have a big budget want something done relatively quickly They will just have you make updates to the site, rather than doing it themselves What they don’t tell you want to set up a full e-commerce site next year when they release some new products they want a social network for their clients

Long-term plans for the site (cont.) Knowing what they want to do in the future with their site, can help you make allowances in the design and coding now saves time and money in the future makes them happier with you, since you were looking out for their interests

Who will be updating the site Plays a large part in determining the architecture Know how tech-savvy that person is meet with them before you start designing, to get a real feel for what they’re comfortable with If its you, include a maintenance agreement with the contract Make sure your client knows your policy about how many hours you include in your maintenance plan each month and whether you’re willing to carry over unused time

What they DON’T want on the site Easier to nail-down dislikes than likes Helps determines what they want on their site Helps when you have a client who uses the infamous “I’ll know what I want when I see it” line

Either way… Extract the facts based on the previous focus areas Find out about the business – educate yourself Get a feel for technical skills needed Decide how to handle the “money” question