1. “We need a new site up by the end of this week.”

You know this is a silly request, so why ask? Most average-size, quality websites can take four to 12 weeks to design and develop. So set reasonable timeframes for your designer. Give him or her time to talk with you, find out what you like and don’t like and review the designer’s work on websites that you consider to be similar to your project.

2. “I’ll run it by my husband (or wife) and get back to you.”

Internet marketing is a very specialized industry. Instead of asking for feedback about what works and what doesn’t from your family or co-workers, get opinions that really count from your prospects and customers … and of course from a professional web designer who makes his or her living keeping up with trends and technology.

3. “Try something different.”

This is probably the worst feedback you could possibly give your designer, so just don’t say it. Tell your designer specifically what you don’t and do like about the design. A good starting place might be to search the web and find sites that have features similar to what you are looking for. Don’t make the designer guess what you want or simply refresh the old version. Discuss the primary and secondary objectives of the site. Is it an online brochure? A sales tool? A customer-service tool? That way he or she can hit the ground running.

4. “We want to be No. 1 on all the search engines, OK?”

Doesn’t everyone? But unfortunately, only one site can have that position at a time, and it isn’t easy to get there. Search-engine placement is not rocket science, but there are very specific methods to get high rankings. Although it may be possible to improve search-engine rankings, it may not be realistic to be ranked number one. Also, don’t rely on just the search engines to get traffic to your site. There are several other ways to market your site on the Internet … be sure to use all of them. And don’t forget traditional marketing techniques like direct mail, print advertising and trade shows.

5. “Why do we need pictures?”

Well, do any of the visitors to your website watch TV or read magazines? People will not read text on your website unless you have already convinced them you are a company that meets their needs. So you grab them with design, photos and graphics. You have only about 10 seconds to do this. You are not going to do that with a page full of text. Use images that speak for your business, images that give the visitor a clear definition of what you’re all about. Ask your designer what types of photos would work best on your site. He or she can help you arrange a studio or location shoot or help find some professional stock photos.

Jim Somers is a designer and the owner of Sonora DesignWorks, a marketing design studio specializing in both web and print design. To see samples of his work and to get a free website analysis, visit www.sonoradesignworks.com.