I’m going to share a little secret on how to get the best website ever. Be the best client ever. Wait, what? It’s not the client’s job to design, code, tweak, and publish. Their job is to sit back and relax, shell out the big bucks, and have a super slick website on their desktop in 4-6 weeks. Well, that’s definitely an important part of being a client, but I’ll bet you half those big bucks that you'll want something tweaked, changed or new at yoursite.com. It’s time to get involved with the web production process. You don’t have to take the reins, but it’s your job to help steer.

1. Get Involved Right Away

When your project is first started, it’s in the planning phase, where there’s more talk than action. This is the best time to get involved. Meet your team in person. Get specific about what you want and ask lots of questions. The more we know, the more efficiently we can plan. Expect to see a lot of abstractions of your website in this phase, including specs (a toilsome essay of sorts, writing out each aspect of the website), wireframes (a skeleton of your website, where elements will be placed, how the pages are structured, etc.), and navigation charts (a flowchart of how a user can reach each page of the website, starting from the homepage.) Important Tip: Don’t take these abstractions too seriously! They are not set in stone. They’re the figurative rough draft of the site, covered with red ink and mysterious squiggles. Save the little tweaks and details for the next phase.

2. Give Good Feedback

After the planning phase is the design phase. You should be receiving mockups at this point of the planned design of the website. Think of them as pictures of your future website. Give constructive feedback. If you don’t like something, tell the graphic designer. Changes made here are far easier and quicker than changes made in the production phase. Feel free to go through each aspect of the mockup, asking what it will do or where it will go. Important Tip: Do not take the designer’s mockup and "Frankenstein" it in Microsoft Paint. To be more specific, the most helpful way to give feedback is to verbally express it to the designer, who can then change the mockups and send you revised versions. Sending your own version of a mockup with changes you prefer will just make the designer feel like you don’t trust them.

3. Take A Deep Breath

When the mockups are approved, your website goes into production, where it’s coded out and actually created at yoursite.com. This is a long process with a lot of trial and error. Don’t expect the first release to be pretty. In this phase, you’ll probably be invited to do some testing and check on the site as it’s being built. If you see something apparently broken or out of place, don’t panic! When you’re in the actual testing phase, you can bring these items to the designer’s attention. Important Tip: A website is not made with a Sharpie. One of the greatest things about a website is it’s ability to change and evolve. If you don’t like something, tell your coder, and they’ll be glad to change it.

Keeping those tips in mind, you'll be sure to get the website you want and be proud of your involvement. Your web production team will thank you for making their jobs easier and everyone who uses your brand new website will feel the love.