At the start of every web development project, you need to sit down with your client and create an initial plan for the website. If all that your client has is vague ideas, you need to turn them into specific and measurable goals.
When you are done with developing the site, you and your client should be happy with the end result.
Talking about goals may not be something why you chose to become a web developer. However, goals are absolutely necessary, otherwise, your client may start asking you for website revisions, which can be long and expensive to complete. Such a situation comes with all kinds of risks for the developers, which is why you want to avoid it. The best way to avoid risks is to have clarity on what the goals of the website are, what it is going to achieve, and how it is going to look.
Many of the web development clients, at the beginning stages of the projects, only have general ideas about what they want. Ask them and let them talk. They may not know exactly what they want, but they may show you the websites that they like, talk about their industry and some specific features that need to be on the website. They can also talk about their design preferences. All this will give you plenty of material to work with.
When you visit a restaurant, a professional chef doesn’t ask you what you want. You get a menu of the cuisines that you can order in the restaurant. Having a menu is very helpful because it limits your choice in a world of unlimited food options and lets you communicate effectively. There’s nothing that is preventing you from creating a menu in your web development business.
Prospective clients can choose from a list of goals, different types of websites and examples of designs. You are the expert and part of your job is to explain to clients what they can and can’t get done when it comes to web development.