If we could narrow the wishes of every web design client in the world down to just two things, I suspect they would come out like this: they wish their website would be finished faster, and that their projects could cost less.

Both of those make perfect sense. Once a manager or business owner has decided to upgrade their site, or start a new one from the ground up, they are usually eager to get it done. And what company doesn’t like to save money? The expense of a new design can have a big effect bottom line – especially in this economy.

But what most clients don’t understand is that, while quality work is always going to take a little longer and require a more serious investment than something that’s poorly done, there are actually several things they can do to cut the time and lower the expense of their new website design. Here are a handful to get you started:

Know what you need. What features or functions will your new site have to have? What kind of look are you aiming for? Who will your visitors be? Knowing the answers to these questions gives you a strong starting point for your website design. In fact, I’d venture that the biggest time-waster in most clients’ projects stems from helping them figure out the basics of what they really need – issues they probably could have considered before we got started.

Supply pictures and content. Having the “raw materials” you’ll need for your website on hand – the photos, company history, logo files, etc. – can save your designer from having to track them down (or worse, re-create them from scratch) later. Naturally, this leads to fewer headaches, not to mention billable hours.

Appoint a contact. Who should your designer call or e-mail if they have a question? Having one person be the internal point of contact on your web design project can prevent dozens of smaller hassles. Ideally, it should be someone who knows where to find answers and information your company, and is in the office regularly. Whether they are in admin, management, or some other department isn’t important; that they can be reached and respond quickly is.

Give clear feedback. When you get a first look at your new design, try to give more insight than a simple thumb up or down. Specific feedback about the colors, tones, layout of the page, etc, if given early in the process, can cut off confusion (and expensive edits) down the road. Don’t be afraid to take a day or two and see how your new layout looks to you after you’ve slept on it. It’s a big decision, and one that costs a lot less time and money if you get it right the first time.

Stick to the plan. In the same way, try not to be too distracted by all of the things you’re new website could do, and focus on all of the things you decided it should do. It’s easy, once you’re in the middle of the process, to decide you want that two-minute video after all, or that your pages should all have rotating images. It’s also expensive and time-consuming. Remember the old proverb about an ounce of planning, and try to make decisions you can commit to at the start.

Hiring a designer or team to build your new website is probably never going to be as quick or inexpensive as you’d like. But keep these tips in mind, and you’ll burn a lot less time and money than most of your colleagues and competitors would.

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