A Committee Guide: What a Modern Website Actually Needs
When a committee is tasked with choosing a web designer, it is easy to get distracted by “flashy” designs. However, a website that looks good but doesn’t work properly is a waste of the club’s or business’s budget.
Before you hire anyone, ensure they can guarantee these five technical standards:
1. True Mobile Responsiveness (Not just “it works on a phone”)
Most of your members or customers will view your site on a smartphone.
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The Test: It shouldn’t just be a “shrunken” version of the desktop site. Buttons must be easy to click, and images shouldn’t be so large that they cut off the screen.
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The Trap: Avoid “fixed” layouts that require people to pinch and zoom to read the text.
2. Proper Integration of Features (Calendars & Member Areas)
If your club needs a booking system, a shared calendar, or a private “members-only” section, these must be built properly into the site’s database.
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The Requirement: These features should be seamless. If a designer tells you to “just use a link to a separate site,” they likely lack the skills to integrate it properly.
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The Goal: Members should be able to log in and see their details without leaving your website.
3. Speed and Accessibility (No “Bells and Whistles”)
Inexperienced designers often use “flashing images,” auto-playing music, or heavy animations to hide poor design skills.
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The Reality: These “bells and whistles” make the site slow to load and very difficult for people with visual impairments or poor internet connections to use.
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The Goal: A clean, fast site that loads in under 2 seconds.
4. Legible Content (No “Tiny Writing”)
A common mistake is creating “poster” images for Facebook or the website that have tiny, cramped text.
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The Standard: Information should be written as actual text on the page, not trapped inside an image. This ensures everyone can read it—including Google—and it allows people to “search” for information like dates and times easily.
5. A Content and Social Media Plan
A website is only as good as the information on it. A professional designer should help you plan how often to update the site and how to manage your Facebook page.
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The Strategy: Avoid “shouting” with too many posts or going silent for months.
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The Quality: Ensure there is a plan to use real photos and human writing, rather than relying on cold, robotic AI-generated text or “funny” posts that might offend your members.
How to Use This Guide
Ask any potential designer to walk you through how they handle these five points. If they cannot give you a clear, technical answer—or if they try to dodge the question with “it’ll look great”—they are likely over-promising on what they can actually deliver.
At Major Web Design, I build websites that work for the long term. If your committee would like a professional opinion on a project, please get in touch.
