I am going to put some advice on what your website should be from various point of view including website design, programming and from future point of view. It doesn't matter what industry you belong but some of the basics are included in this article.
1) Customised Web Design: See that your website is not just designed taken from some readymade template design. If you know you are going to be famous locally, go for customized design. If you get it customized design as per your business and industry, it develops a sense of branding. It's like you are known by that name, logo and colour. Just like we know what colour we know that is gained by the legendary mobile brand "Vodafone" – your mind recalled "Red" on your mind. That is a magic of branding. Branding has many variations. Some are local brands and some are national brand that becomes international brand one day. Even branding has stages to pass on.
2) Colour Combination: Select proper colours for your website. Don't get agree with what others are saying. Go with your own choice; go with what your business is known among your customers. See what you have used so far that has worked. Stick to that and get it amended by your website designer. Variations in what you are offering currently and what you are showing online may affect your sales. Your known customers may get reluctant unknowingly that this is your own website that is promoting in different colour.
3) Structured Web Design: See more on how you are structuring your website. It has to be very easy. Advise your web designer how you want it. Show your web designer few examples of website that you have liked the most. I think that will help him do the better job in the very first draft of your site. The faster you decide on the design the faster you get your website delivered. Again, if you are going for ecommerce website, it may take longer depending on the facilities you are going to have on your website.
4) Services Oriented: If your website is service oriented, you should go for brochure website with CMS (content management system). I would advice not to go with static website. Go with CMS options so that you can manage your content on your own. You can add, delete, edit all your pages and its content on your own. Less maintenance cost and no need of any website designer help in future until you want to add any special facilities to your CMS.
5) Product Oriented: If your business is about selling products then go with ecommerce website that allows you to add your products on your own. You can also delete, edit your product pictures, price and description by your own. No needs to take any web designers help.