Here are the reasons why you need a website mockup from your designer.
1- Match with Brand
No matter how well you think you have clarified your expectations, you can miss out on some crucial aspects when you provide user requirements to the website developers. The consequence is grave if the final website doesn’t match your brand image.
When you have asked for the mockup, you can be sure that you review each aspect of the mockup before the final website is developed. It will prevent you from unknowingly deviating from your brand image. The theme, concept, colours, functional elements, etc. should convey your brand vision.
2- Visual Representation
The mockup gives a fair idea of how the user interface and user experience will be in the final product. UI & UX are the most important factors for a website to achieve user engagement. And, you can’t compromise on user engagement, can you?
A mockup is a visual representation or a preview of your website. It is easier to review a mockup than to recode a website after development. And, the mockup can be shared with all the stakeholders, to solicit their feedback before the development starts.
So, before your website is ready, a mockup gives you a visual look and feel of the website.
3- Estimate Time
It is generally not very easy to estimate the time required for website development. Most people make rough estimates while the actual time taken finally could be much more or less. This is because, in the absence of a website design mockup, you cannot precisely calculate how much time it will require to develop each element.
Moreover, to put forth a website, so many elements have to be combined into a whole. And, significant time is spent on the effective integration of all the features.
A mockup has a representation of each element that will show up on the final website. So, you can estimate the development time for each fragment; and also that to put each element up in the complete website. A good mockup can be used to create a perfect estimate of how much development time your project will require.
4- Estimate Cost
Cost estimation for a website development project is a very challenging activity. The client and the developer, generally are not convinced with the cost estimate made by each other, for the same project.
The mockup can help both clients and developers rationally estimate the complexity of the project and decide the billing accordingly. This helps them calculate the number of modules, the time taken for each, and the resources needed for the project.
Thus, a mockup can help the developer accurately make a cost estimate. And, the client can be assured that he is paying the optimum amount.
5- Aligning Expectations & Deliverables
Often, there are discrepancies between the expectations of the client and what is delivered by the designer. To avoid wastage of time and to prevent miscommunication, the expectations have to be aligned with the service. And, a mockup is the best way to do that.
A mockup, once approved by you, works as a guideline for designers and developers. They know what they have to achieve, and they can focus on exactly what is to be done to bridge the gap between the desirable and the deliverable.
With an approved mockup, developers can continue to the next stage of website development confidently as they are sure that they are developing something that will comply with your needs.
Always ask for a mockup; it acts as a reference for those involved in the development at later stages!
6- Preview Blunders
Everyone can err; so can you! All of us believe that we know our needs better. But, sometimes, even after buying a product completely as per our requirements, we are disappointed. Moreover, when the product is a website, the user should like it, even if you don’t!
Whether you admit it or not, some of your requirements could be impractical and may not result in a useful website. Hasn’t it happened to you that you are clear about what you want, but after you see the final website, you wish it were better?
A website mockup helps you eliminate blunders in the end product. When you have mockup designs ready, you can check it from so many perspectives like esthetics, layout, typography, ease of navigation, etc. And, you can identify your own mistakes and rectify them at this stage, much before the final website is developed.
And, if you have identified the problems at the mockup stage, you must resolve all the problem areas. It is always a good idea to invite suggestions from the designer as well if you have hired an experienced designer.
Wrapping Up!
There is a trend of asking for website mockups from the designers. And, this practice started after it was realized that it could eliminate problems, and help you save time and money. It is also an excellent way to prevent conflicts between developers and clients!
Though some designers are reluctant to provide a mockup, always insist on getting one! And, don’t forget to inform them about the benefits that they can derive from this small exercise.
However, the top website designers are always willing to share a mockup as they know it is the prerequisite to an excellent product. So, contact us now for your next project.
