This is like asking an architect how much it will cost to build a house.

What kind of house? Brick? Wood? Stone masonry? How many people will live there? On what kind of terrain? What upgrades and amenities do you want? What time of year do you want to build it?

Can you see how we can quickly slide down the rabbit hole here?

This is the question that tips off an unscrupulous web designer that you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. That’s when he or she moves in for the kill with slick layouts (that do nothing for search engine rankings), fancy brochures and alphabet soup talk.

The first words out of your mouth to a perspective web designer should be: “Show me your work.” But don’t let the designer send you a PDF file filled with websites that are no longer operational. Ask to see only operational websites, and ask the designer to tell you what he or she did on each project. Some web designers just design what you see, and the back-end part is done by someone else. Be clear.

The next thing you should ask is: “If we were to work together, what would be the first thing you would do?” If he or she starts talking about fancy designs or platforms, run for the hills. The appropriate response should be something along the lines of wanting to understand more about your business and how it works or what you want your site to do. Some sites sell, some are just information sources, some are for books, others are for speakers. Be clear.

This is where you should have done your homework.

One would think that price comes now, right? No.

Now, you present a list of everything you want your site to do, look like and have. Don’t worry about lingo. Explain it in plain English. It’s the designer’s job to translate for you. Why should you have to learn a new vocabulary to communicate with a contractor? Over the course of time, you’ll know the correct names for technology tools, but now’s not the time to get hung up on that. No one can tell you what you want. The designer can make best-practice suggestions once you present your ideas, but no one can detail what you want.

Use examples. Provide links to sites you like and sites that make you cringe. Tell the prospective designer why you like or dislike a site. Point out specifics. Be clear.

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