So you’ve decided it’s time for a website redesign, but you may now be wondering where to start. Working with an agency is the best way to get your website redesign project off the ground. Your first call with a potential agency partner can be intimidating (especially if it’s your first time going through the process). Never fear—we’ve got you covered. Knowing what to expect during the call and what questions to ask ahead of time will help you feel more comfortable and confident during the call.
In this post, we offer ten tips to help you prepare for a website redesign sales call.
If you’ve decided it’s time for a redesign, then it’s likely that your current site is no longer meeting your business goals. If you want to be able to measure the return on investment for your redesign, it’s important first to set a baseline using current metrics. You can then establish clear goals or outcomes you’d like to realize as a result of the project. In other words, it’s hard to measure success without knowing your starting point.
HubSpot has great documentation and resources on creating goals using the SMART framework. This framework can help you establish goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. The SMART framework is a great way to clearly define your redesign's goals.
Ahead of your sales call, take some time to define goals for your new website.
The most effective websites are designed with the target audience in mind, so it’s best to take a user-centric approach to the design process. The decisions you make should all happen with the end-user experience in mind. If you’re not sure about who your target audience is (or should be), most agencies can help you create personas.
HubSpot has great documentation and resources on creating user personas. Having well-defined buyer personas will help inform the approach to your redesign.
Ahead of your sales call, take some time to consider who is the target audience for your website.
It’s important to separate the nice-to-haves from the must-haves early on in the redesign process. If you have any specific features you feel should be included in the redesign, mention them early in the process.
It’s all too easy to see something on a competitor’s website and think, “we should have that, too.” If you’re engaging with an agency, they should be upfront with you if what you want doesn’t align with your strategic goals for your site. For example, the cool feature you saw on your competitor’s site may look neat, but in reality causes long page load times or other poor user experience. Your agency partner will give you honest feedback about if a desired feature aligns with your goals, but you are still the ultimate decision-maker as far as what’s included.
Ahead of your sales call, take some time to list out any features or elements you feel strongly should be included in the new design.
You know your brand better than anyone else, and your redesigned site should reflect that. While the designer will incorporate some existing elements or themes into the redesign, they can also draw upon outside inspiration. Some examples of design inspiration might include other websites (competitors or otherwise), color palettes, or specific fonts. HubSpot’s blog includes regular posts about website design inspiration and design trends if you’re looking for ideas.
Ahead of your sales call, take some time to find sources of design inspiration that can serve as jumping-off points during the redesign process.
It’s always easier to collaborate when you have a partner you mesh well with versus one with whom you butt heads. A website redesign is often a significant investment of time and resources, so it’s valuable to know ahead of time how well you will work with a potential partner. The website redesign sales call is as much an interview with the agency as it is about figuring out project scope, so take the opportunity to learn more about the agency before making a decision.
Ahead of your sales call, come up with questions you’d like to ask about the agency in general to determine if they’re a good match.
A web agency’s portfolio is a great resource for seeing what they are capable of based on past designs. Agencies will generally put the work they’re the most proud of in their portfolios, so you’ll get an idea of what to expect from your redesign. They’ll also try and include examples from various industries so you can see how they’ve helped other similar businesses in the past.
Ahead of your sales call, take some time to review the agency’s portfolio and see past works they’ve completed. (Feel free to check out our portfolio if you’re considering us as your partner.)
If you’re not the sole decision maker for the project, it may be a good idea to bring any other stakeholders into the fold earlier in the process. This will help ensure everyone is on the same page as well as allow for multiple members of your team to weigh in on the decision of whether or not the agency is a good fit.
While it’s good to have a variety of opinions, too many stakeholders can also be overwhelming, so it’s best to only include those who are absolutely necessary this early in the process. (There will likely be other meetings throughout the project which other stakeholders can attend if needed.)
Ahead of your sales call, consider inviting any additional stakeholders who may want to be involved from the beginning. Alternatively, consider gathering questions from stakeholders that they’d like addressed during the initial meeting if it’s a challenge to coordinate schedules.
As the person in charge of your company’s website, it’s likely you’re aware of your main competitors—even if you’re not actively monitoring them. Knowing the competition can help inform what strategic or design decisions might make sense for your new site. If you’re not already keeping tabs on the competition, your agency partner should be able to help you perform competitor analysis to glean some insights. They will be able to assess what the competitors are doing and either do it better or recommend another approach.
Ahead of your sales call, create a list of other companies you consider to be competition.
Budgets can often be restrictive, so going into your sales call knowing ahead of time what your company is willing to invest in the redesign is crucial. It’s best to have a budget range versus just one specific number, and many agencies will be willing to try and work within your budget.
Ahead of your sales call, establish a budget range that works for your unique situation.
If your company has established brand guidelines, it’s helpful to bring this up early in the process so that the designer can be sure to adhere to them while working on the new design. Your brand guidelines will act as the basis for the new design, but the designer will likely include their own unique flare as well if the guidelines allow for it.
Ahead of your sales call, be sure to get a copy of any existing brand guidelines your company may have to provide as a reference to the agency.
While starting the conversation about your website redesign may seem intimidating, with a little preparation it doesn’t have to feel that way. If you follow the ten tips we’ve provided, we’re confident you’ll feel better prepared for your initial sales call.
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