How can you make the most of this process?

• Give your designer copies of anything that will help in the design phase -- things like logos, business cards, brochures, and text (sales and marketing information, company history, staff, contact information, pertinent photos).
• Be prepared to discuss your preferences: what colors you like (and don't like), which sites appeal to you or repel you (and why), etc. If you can't stand the color green, now's the time to say so!
• Be available to your designer to answer questions when they arise and give your feedback as the site takes shape.
• Resist the urge to nitpick. Of course you want your site to be perfect; your designer does, too. Unfortunately, even the best-designed pages tend to display differently in different browsers (and really, is moving something two millimeters to the right going to improve things that much?)

• Be honest when your opinion is sought. This is your Web site, and you know your company, your market, and your products. Don't be afraid to trust your designer, however; he (or she) knows about design and the on-line world.
• Try to keep within budget. Yes, your designer probably can add that extra graphic or put in an interactive form, but extras take more time -- and time is what your designer based the project's cost on.
• Educate yourself on the process, especially what can/can't be done on the Web. For example, in print projects, people see the same colors, typefaces, and graphics; on-line, colors often appear different, and people can turn their pictures off to speed browsing.
• Realize the evolution of a Web site is constantly changing. In other words, don't expect your Web to be "done" when you thank your designer and make your final payment. Somebody has to make regular updates to your pages. Somebody has to change the content and keep visitors interested. Since you've already found the designer of choice, why not let him (her) do the maintenance, too?

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