How to make getting a website developed a smooth process

I think it is fairly safe to say that in this day and age the majority of people have probably already had a website developed at some stage or we know someone who has been through this process. Some people seem to have a great experience, love their website and it really works for them. Whilst on the other hand, others have had a hard time really getting the end result they were after.

So, how can you make sure the process of getting your website designed is a smooth one?

If possible, pick a local web design company. Whilst its true that getting a web site designed is largely based on interaction online there is nothing better than when a client and web designer can sit together face to face to review designs and talk about the direction for the website.
Don’t rush into it – take time to plan. The most important thing to remember is that rushing a website just ends up with everything taking longer. If a website is not planned correctly or the designer does not fully understand your requirements it means going back to make edits to a site that seemed finished. There is a lot for a website designer to understand when developing a website; the background of your business, why you are developing the website – the goals, who your business will be targeted at, what you expect a user to be able to do on your website, implementing a plan for marketing to drive traffic to your site etc
Be content ready. In order to effectively design your custom website, your web designer will need to understand the website site structure and also to be able to see the content that they will need to populate your pages with. By having the content ready to go means a shorter lead time in development.
Decide on what you like. In order for your web designer to really understand the design you envisage for your website – you need to understand what you want. Make sure you take the time to research your likes and dislikes. This goes beyond saying you like the look of the iconic website for example. What is it you like about that site? The colours, the fonts, the large graphics, the custom icons etc. The more detail you can offer the higher the chance of the designer providing you with a design in line with your goals early on in the design stage.
Have all decision makers readily available. Another thing that can slow the process down is managing a response from all of the decision makers. Once the web designer has provided you with concepts make sure they can get a response quickly in order for the most efficient process.
Understand that quality takes time. It is good to have realistic time frames, your website designer can guide you on what to expect. A quality job does take time not only for the design but the web development and for testing also.