First Steps
Even when you've got 25 years of experience, it's still amazing how many times things go wrong simply because you didn't ask the right questions at the beginning.
The best laid plans can always go wrong, but here's the process I've found that helps to get things right most of the time. It's not perfect, but a few simple checks up-front can make life so much easier when it comes to developing someone's site.
The Initial Meeting
Always begin the project with a face-to-face meeting or video call (if possible). A conversation will reveal deeper insights and nuances than written communication alone.
During this meeting, make sure to discuss the following points:
Business Goals: What exactly does the client want to achieve with their website?
This will take some guiding, you really don't want to rush it and it's important the client does most of the talking here. If you can, record the conversation - you will miss things - and make copious notes.
Very often the client won't tell you exactly what they want when you ask them the question the first time. We have discovered something called the "Rule of Three", which essentially says "it takes three repeats of the same question to get to the actual answer." There might be some psychological reason for it, but we've found it works well.
Web Designer: Hi there! What’s the main reason you want to create a new website? Client: We just want to have an online presence so people can find us easily. Web Designer: Got it. Are there any specific goals you hope to achieve with the website besides having an online presence? Client: Well, we’d like to improve our brand awareness and maybe engage more with our audience. Web Designer: That’s great. Can you share what the ultimate business objective is for having this website? Client: Oh, ultimately, we want to increase sales and generate more revenue. That’s the main driver for this project.
A typical conversation
Target Audience: Who is the website primarily aimed at?