In today’s world having a website is crucial to the success of your business. Your website acts as an information source for current customers and also as an advertising mechanism to attract new customers to your business. That is why choosing the right web designer is important for your business.
Below are a few tips to help you choose the right web designer for your business.
- View Their Portfolio – Ask to see the designer’s portfolio. Does it look professional? If you don’t like what you see, move on. If they don’t have a portfolio online watch out. A web designer without a website? Red flag.
- Ask & Answer Questions – Not only should you ask the web designer about their qualifications, previous work, references, etc; you should also have questions asked about your business. If they are not going to learn about your business then how are they going to build a site that represents your business?
- It’s More Than Just a Layout – Not only should you be looking at their designs but you should also ask about their experience with search engine optimization. Ask them what they know about it and ask to see proof of sites they’ve created that have a high ranking on Google.
- Pricing – Ask what they charge for the site you are looking for and see how it compares to the competition. For a professionally built search engine friendly website you are looking to pay at least $1000. You should base your decision on more than just pricing. Don’t assume the cheapest designer is the best option… often it is not, and you will end up with a site that will not meet your goals. Also ask how and when they will be billing you.
- How Will Your Site be Updated? – Ask the designer how and when they will update the site and what the cost is. Usually designers charge hourly for these kind of updates. You should expect to pay anywhere from $25-100 an hour for quality services.
- Contracts and Ownership - Make sure you will own copyright of the entire website as well as the domain name (minus any third party scripts or stock photography). Make sure it is in writing. Professional web designers who know what they are doing will have you sign a contract which includes ownership information, payment terms, etc.
- Timelines – When will the designer be able to complete the site? Make sure they can commit to your deadline… but be reasonable. A 10 page site will take 3-5 days minimum to complete, and the designer will probably have other clients which can add to the time. Give your designer at least 1-2 weeks for a small site, and at least a month on larger projects.
- References – Ask for references. If they cannot give these to you then move on. Before you spend thousands of dollars you want to see how satisfied other people are with the site.
- Treat the Designer with Respect -If you keep ranting about how horrible your last designer was and keep complaining and pressuring your designer and trying to get extra stuff for free they won’t respect you and the project will not go well.
And with any service, use your best judgment and instinct.
What are your thoughts on how to choose a web designer?
by Mike McKeown