Key Questions to Ask Before & During Your Website Redesign

Questions to ask your web design agency

What can we do to make the project process run smoothly?

A great agency will have their own proven process, but your internal communication is key to how seamless that process feels. Here’s how to help your agency help you.

• Appoint a main contact. Designate one internal point person to deliver consolidated team feedback at each phase of the project. This can ensure that feedback reflects all parties, help eliminate confusion, reduce revision rounds and keep the project moving.
• Understand your team’s availability. Planned vacations, holiday season or other larger internal deliverables can affect your ability to meet deadlines. Make sure to have a plan in place to stay on track and communicate that to your agency so that the project timeline and key deliverable dates are as realistic as possible.
• Dig deeper into conflicting feedback. Ask team members probing questions to better understand where their feedback is coming from – for example strategic reasoning, personal preference, or perhaps even compliance. Then, decide on the best solution to move forward while keeping the bigger picture in mind. 

What could prevent us from meeting our deadlines?

Below is a list of common roadblocks to try and avoid to keep your website redesign project on track.

• Not involving key stakeholders early enough. Make sure to get leadership input early on during each stage of the project process before moving forward. This will help to avoid costly rework or extended timelines.
• Underestimating copywriting needs. Writing and reviewing an entire site’s copy takes time. Plan ahead and assign reviewers to their sections early – including compliance. And if you don’t have folks internally who have the time or skillset to take this on, hire your agency to rewrite your copy against the approved design.
• Internal initiatives. Consider any major internal projects that may distract from the redesign or result in rework (i.e. rebranding, rolling out a new digital banking platform, etc.).
• Underestimating design and development site reviews. Just like with copywriting, design and site functionality need the proper stakeholders’ approval - which can take measurable time. Ensure all parties, including compliance, are reviewing and providing feedback.
• Missing assets. Have any assets or deliverables (i.e. brand materials, copy, FAQs, testimonials, media files, etc.) readily available when needed.

What information, documents and materials should we get in order now?

Here’s a checklist of helpful items to get organized before kicking off the project. The more prepared you are, the more focused the agency can be on bringing your vision to life.

• Brand guidelines
• Examples of your brand in action (i.e. social media ads, brochures, direct mailer, email, etc.) – with clarification on what may be being sunset or not used as frequently
• Sites that inspire your team or represent where you collectively want to go
• Internal project team goals
• A list of any existing components or functional items that you need to have on the new site. Note: This doesn’t mean it will be a copy & paste exercise, but it can help the agency determine some must-haves on your new site.
• A preliminary review of existing website copy for accuracy & relevance. Note: Your agency should work with you to update, adjust & rewrite any copy, but it never hurts to have an accurate starting point.
• Any real imagery rather than stock imagery (if applicable) – ensuring you have the proper licensing to use on the web.

Questions to ask your marketing team about your brand

Your website should be an extension of your brand. Asking these questions internally before you begin can help lock in the direction you wish to go.

What differentiates us from competitors?

Are you more community-focused, offer better digital banking tools, or go above and beyond for members or customers? Knowing your key differentiators can help shape everything from messaging to design. 

What are the core, unchanging visuals that define our brand?

Change is inevitable, but there will always be evergreen elements that build the foundation of your brand which instill recognition in the market. With a solid grasp on unchanging elements, an agency can effectively create a scalable site that will evolve with you.

What visuals are no longer working for our brand?

If you’re currently unhappy with your brand, it may be time to invest in a brand update before the redesign begins to ensure it reflects who you are now and as you look to the future.

Are we willing to push boundaries with our brand?

If you want a new site that continues to utilize your core brand elements but also wants to be bold rather than play it safe, your agency wants to know! This information can alter the strategy and design drastically.

Questions to ask your internal team about your website

What are the main high-level goals we need our website to achieve?

Prioritize your goals to help your agency craft a more intentional website design and strategy.

• Are we product and service focused or more solutions focused?
• Do we want to emphasize our brand story and build trust?
• Is the primary objective to communicate rates and promotions quickly?
• Do we want to present information in a way that addresses key visitor life stages?
• Are there goals in the next 1-3 years that we need to be mindful of to ensure the site will scale easily?

Remember, you don’t have to have the exact answer before the project even starts, but beginning the conversation can shape decisions in meaningful ways.

Who is our target audience and how do we better connect with them?

Your agency shouldn’t expect you to come up with a full strategy – that’s their job! Simply start thinking about your target audience(s) and what are the things they would expect to see on your site.

• Are you aiming to reach a younger audience? Gen Z audiences may appreciate features that mimic social media, retail sites or other elements that are familiar to them in their everyday lives.
• Want to connect with small businesses? Highlighting efficiency tools, specific small business products and services and tailored support can be crucial to relationship building.

Is there an ideal experience you would like to establish for website visitors?

Your website visitors most likely have primary objectives when coming to your site, but those may differ from the actions you want them to take. Your agency should help make recommendations based on business goals and a review of analytics on current site usage, but if you have specific ideas make sure to share. An example for a banking website could be:

• Website visitors’ primary objective: logging into online banking
• Your ideal experience: exploring promotional/product content
• Smart solution: include a promotional or “tip” space within the online banking login to engage website visitors where they are already inclined to go

Are there any pain points with our current site?

Take a look at your current site and determine items that frustrate website visitors, your internal team, and if there are areas that are difficult to manage. Your site’s analytics as well as heatmap tracking can also reveal obvious opportunities. Simple feedback such as, “there are too many clicks to find rates” can spark valuable improvements in the redesign.

Ensuring client and agency success

Successful websites are a result of thoughtful planning, strong collaboration and open communication. By asking these questions early, you’re setting your team and your agency up for success. Whether you’re ready to push creative boundaries or simply want a modern site that better reflects your brand, ZAG can assist in turning your vision into reality. Contact us to discuss your website redesign project needs.

This article was written by Digital Strategist Jennifer Inho and Associate Art Director Kristen Curren.