9 Critical Insights Every Client Needs in Website Design
Website design is a critical aspect of any business's online presence. This article delves into essential insights that every client should know, drawing from the expertise of seasoned professionals in the field. From time management to user-centric design, these expert-backed tips will help you navigate the complexities of creating an effective and impactful website.
- Time Commitment Crucial for Effective Design
- Design for Your Audience Not Yourself
- Focus on Clarity Over Complex Features
- Website Design Aligns with Business Goals
- Realistic Expectations Improve Client Collaboration
- Usability Testing Reveals Hidden Design Issues
- Brand Rhythm Consistency Enhances User Experience
- Quality Content Drives Website Success
- Efficient Mockup Process Enhances Collaboration
Time Commitment Crucial for Effective Design
One thing that I try to emphasize at the beginning of our project together is the client's time commitment during the website design process. In order to get to the heart of what their brand stands for, a brand strategy workshop may take a few hours. It's necessary to communicate their competitive advantage throughout the website.
While we do offer copywriting and editing services, getting all of the facts stored in their heads out on paper may take a while, especially for a business with a large website build. We try to make the process as painless as possible with multiple ways to collect the information -- either through content collection forms or a call to our copywriter so they can just talk while she takes notes.
Design for Your Audience Not Yourself
The website is designed for their audience, not themselves.
Sometimes it's hard for clients to separate themselves from the user. Sure, they need to love their website, but the website has a fundamental purpose to serve the business. Building a website around the client's pride and tastes - ahead of what will satisfy their audience - is always a mistake.
Focus on Clarity Over Complex Features
Sometimes, small business owners come to the table with big dreams. However, let's be clear: a $5,000-$15,000 website won't match the technical infrastructure of a platform created with a budget in the $100,000+ range. I have had clients who were very discouraged when their site wasn't able to compete with the custom dashboards, integrations, or ultra-advanced eCommerce logic that their larger competitors had. The fact of the matter is, complex features that take a long time to develop or use bandwidth on the server, meaning you'd have to have a team to manage that - all of this doesn't translate well for a lean start-up company.
Instead of chasing equal footing with corporations, wise small businesses focus on clarity, performance, and conversion. I like to see clients invest in strategic elements that outperform: things like quick load times, smooth mobile performance, clear calls-to-action, and logical site architecture. Simple business sites are those that prioritize the user experience above all else, and they're packed with simple, easy-to-find information that anyone could read or digest quickly. I've seen sites with fewer than 10 pages outrank massive sites because they're built based on the customer journey and not just about what looks good.
So I'd say put your resources where they succeed: your website doesn't have to "do everything," but it should do the right things well.
Website Design Aligns with Business Goals
One key thing I wish clients understood better about the website design process is that great design is not just about how a site looks; it's about how it functions, how it converts, and how it aligns with business goals. Many clients approach a website project with a heavy focus on visual aesthetics—colors, fonts, layouts—which are undeniably important. However, a truly successful website goes beyond the surface. It needs to solve problems, create seamless user experiences, guide visitors to take meaningful actions, and support long-term business growth.
Website design is a strategic, collaborative process that involves much more than choosing a template or uploading a few images. It includes understanding the brand, defining user personas, planning the information architecture, optimizing page load speed, ensuring mobile responsiveness, following accessibility guidelines, implementing SEO best practices, and integrating analytics to track performance. These are not just "extras"; they are essential pillars that determine the actual success of a website.
When clients understand this, the entire designer-client relationship transforms. Instead of focusing solely on subjective likes and dislikes—"make the logo bigger," "add more animations," or "can we change this color to my favorite?"—the conversation shifts toward objective, data-informed decision-making. The designer becomes a strategic partner, not just a service provider. We start asking better questions together: "How will this layout improve our conversion rate?" or "Does this messaging speak to our target audience?"
This understanding also builds trust and respect. Clients who appreciate the full scope of the design process are more open to expert advice, more patient with timelines, and more realistic about budgets. They're also more invested in providing thoughtful feedback and quality content—two factors that significantly affect outcomes. And when clients see that every design choice is rooted in a strategy, they're more likely to champion those choices internally and externally, leading to better adoption and results.
Ultimately, when clients grasp that web design is an ongoing, collaborative process rooted in problem-solving—not just a one-time aesthetic exercise—it leads to smoother workflows, fewer revisions, better outcomes, and a more fulfilling partnership for everyone involved.
Realistic Expectations Improve Client Collaboration
One thing I wish clients would be better informed about in the website design process is the need to establish realistic expectations around deadlines and iterations. Clients often expect website projects to be completed quickly and are typically unaware of the effort that goes into each process: design, development, testing, and adjustment. It's an iterative process of discovery, with refinement needed throughout, especially to align with a client's vision, the need for designs to work on various devices, and the options for minor adjustments in design solutions that occur in work groups of practitioners.
If clients were more aware that website design is an iterative collaboration rather than a single moment of delivery, they would be more patient and collaborative during each iteration. It is the work of communities of interest, not only single products. If the work and time that goes into a project is unknown, then there is no way to stay in a productive process other than hoping what is shown in task planning is sufficient. Conversation will need to be referred back to both human and social engagement in the community of task-based interventions, whether they are in person, using intermediaries, or pre-established criteria for work completion and refinement.
This awareness would greatly benefit the relationship between client and designer, which would help support clear communication and trust. Clients would feel more at ease throughout the process, knowing that they can provide feedback at key points. Designers can improve the creative process by updating their work from client feedback in real-time, thus alleviating the back-and-forth, last-minute changes, etc. Everyone is happier with an efficient workflow and a more successful final product, which results in a better partnership and web experience for the client.
Usability Testing Reveals Hidden Design Issues
I wish more clients understood the critical importance of usability testing in the website design process. When we design websites, we're often too close to the project to see potential navigation issues that first-time visitors might encounter. One of the most valuable techniques I've found is bringing in someone unfamiliar with the site and silently observing as they attempt to complete basic tasks, noting where they hesitate or become confused. This real-time feedback reveals design problems that neither the client nor our team would have identified through internal reviews alone. If clients embraced this testing phase rather than viewing it as an unnecessary delay, we could deliver significantly more effective websites that truly serve their intended audience. Better understanding of this process would improve our working relationship by aligning expectations and demonstrating that our mutual goal is creating a website that works for actual users, not just one that looks impressive in mockups.
Brand Rhythm Consistency Enhances User Experience
I wish more clients understood how much brand rhythm consistency matters in web design. It's not just about picking colors or fonts—it's about creating a flow that feels familiar across every scroll, every click.
The challenge is that clients sometimes want to "wow" visitors on every page, which can lead to over-designing or constant reinvention. I understand the excitement, but I always say: surprise with value, not with layout changes. When everything—the spacing, voice, visuals—follows a steady rhythm, visitors feel safe and focused. That rhythm builds credibility.
If clients came into the design process with that mindset, the collaboration would flow more easily. We'd spend less time justifying design decisions and more time fine-tuning them.
Quality Content Drives Website Success
Customers visit your website to find information about you! While your web designer can make your website visually appealing, if you have thin content or no content at all, your website's aesthetics won't matter.
Give customers a reason to stay. Tell your story. Include pictures and videos. Any content you provide to your designer gives them a starting point to work with. Good content keeps customers on your site longer, allows them to find the information they need, and helps with your SEO. Don't assume that simply having a website is all you need.
Efficient Mockup Process Enhances Collaboration
I wish more clients understood the value of an efficient mockup and iteration process in website design. In my experience, transitioning to tools like V0 for UI mockups has dramatically improved our ability to show clients tangible progress quickly, replacing older methods that were more time-consuming. We've established a workflow with our development team that reduces mockup-to-deployment time to under 30 minutes, allowing us to make adjustments and improvements in near real-time. When clients understand this process, they become more engaged partners who provide timely feedback rather than waiting until late stages to request significant changes. This collaborative approach not only produces better results but also builds trust as clients see their input directly shaping the evolution of their website throughout the design journey.
