7 questions you need to ask yourself before hiring a web design agency
- Jim Morrissey
- May 19
- 4 min read
Updated: May 20
As someone who writes websites for a living, I’m always curious to know whether my clients’ chosen web agencies are meeting their design expectations and providing a good experience overall.
If they’re not, 99% of the time it’s a communication issue causing the problem. Without a clear and fluid dialogue between both parties, a smooth build is never going to happen – something I’ve witnessed countless times.
If you’re considering a new website, reduce the risk of misunderstandings and get your project off to a frictionless start by asking yourself a few simple questions. They will help create clarity, focus, and a solid foundation for a formal brief.
It’s enough to get the ball rolling smoothly, but if you do want to go further and write a detailed brief, you’ll find a downloadable template at the bottom of this page.
What do I want this website to achieve?
Be clear on exactly what you want your website to achieve. Is it there to generate enquiries for a service-based business, sell products through an ecommerce store, encourage phone calls, or build an email list through sign-ups?
Your goals will shape everything from the website’s structure and functionality to its messaging and calls to action. With a clear objective in place, your designer will be in a far stronger position to create a website that supports your commercial goals and delivers meaningful results.
What functionality will my website need?
Once you understand what your website needs to achieve, you can begin thinking about the functionality required to support it.
Think carefully about the features your visitors will need to interact with. This could include booking systems, calendars, live chat, customer portals, downloadable resources, quote request forms, or newsletter sign-ups. The clearer you are from the outset, the smoother the build process is likely to be.
What pages will my website need?
Your web agency will help define the sitemap – your website’s pages, usually during a discovery call or initial meeting. Thing is, this process can often lack strategic thought on
their part because they won’t understand your business the way you do.
Content placed on the wrong page will confuse visitors and escort them straight to the back button.
List the pages you think you’ll need, then write the kinds of messages you want included in each one.
This can include USPs, benefits, FAQs, customer problems, generally important information your visitors will expect to see under that section.
Do I fully understand my value proposition?
One of the most important things you need to communicate to your web designer is your value proposition. In simple terms, why should somebody choose you over your competitors?
Think carefully about your unique selling points and what genuinely makes your business different. This could be your experience, pricing, process, customer service, speed, expertise, or results. If your agency fully understands your value, they’ll be in a far stronger position to communicate it effectively throughout your website.
Can I clearly describe my target market and audience?
Your website should be built around the people you want to attract. If you can clearly describe your target audience, your web designer will have a much better understanding of
how the website should look, sound, and function.
Think about who your ideal customers are, what problems they face, and what they are likely to respond to. A website aimed at corporate decision-makers will feel very different to one targeting consumers, tradespeople, or creative startups.
The more insight you can provide, the more accurately your website can speak to the right people.
How much money should I invest in this website?
The cost of a website can vary massively depending on who builds it, what functionality is required, and the level of strategy involved. A one-man freelance designer will naturally charge far less than an established agency with a full team of designers, developers,
copywriters, SEO specialists, and project managers.
It’s also important to think beyond the initial build cost. Ongoing investment in SEO, content creation, digital marketing, hosting, maintenance, and updates can play a huge role in your website’s long-term success. A website is rarely a one-off expense – it’s an evolving marketing asset designed to support your business growth over time.
When does the website need to go live?
Be realistic about your website’s launch date. If you’re working to a tight deadline, it may be better to launch with a reduced number of pages first – just the essentials. You can build upon it over time.
Try not to rush the process unnecessarily. A successful website build relies on feedback and collaboration from both sides. If you decide to work towards a fixed deadline, make sure you can also meet your own obligations to the project, including supplying content, feedback, approvals, and any required assets on time.
Feeling more confident about reaching out to web design agencies?
You should now have enough clarity around your project to contact agencies and book discovery calls. But if you want to go one step further, send over a completed brief and give them an idea of your available budget.
Agencies will appreciate the effort and the transparency around what you can realistically spend. It will make the quoting process far smoother and save time if the agency is unable to accommodate your budget.
Use this dead-easy template to create a watertight website design brief.
Good luck!
