How to Choose the Right Web Designer

How to Choose the Right Web Designer

You need a new website and don't want to do the design work yourself. So, you need to choose a web designer who will do an amazing job making the site look great and performing all the functions you need it to. Sounds simple enough, and it is - if you pick the right web designer. In this article, we explain what to look for in a great web designer to help you pick the perfect one for your new website!

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring a Web Designer

When hiring any service provider, you first need to be clear on what exactly you need from them. The same goes when hiring a web designer. To help you identify your needs, here are some questions you should ask yourself first:

  • what platform will your site use?
  • what is the purpose of your site?
  • do you need any special features, such as a shopping cart or special forms?
  • is a password protected or membership area needed?
  • what is your budget for the site design?
  • do you want any special coding done, or is an out of the box solution okay?
  • how will traffic get to your site?

The answers to these questions will help you identify the type of web designer you need. Next we'll look at the questions you should be asking them!

What Questions Should I Ask My Web Designer?

A quick search of Google will provide you with thousands of web designers to pick from. To help you narrow these down, it's a good idea to look through their website and/or contact them to answer the following questions:

  • what web design services do you provide?
  • can you do any custom coding?
  • do you have a portfolio of work I can see?
  • can I talk with past clients of yours?
  • how much do you charge and are there any hidden fees?
  • will you do any SEO?
  • how many edits can I have?
  • what is your timeframe for completing a project?
  • do you offer any ongoing support?
  • where will the website be hosted?
  • what information will you need from me?
  • have you designed sites in my industry before?
  • what content management system do you use?
  • can I have access to edit my site once you have finished, or do you do that alone?

After having the answers you asked yourself and prospective web designers, chances are you already have an inkling on which one you're going to hire. But before you do, here are some great tips you'll want to check out first.

Top Tips on Choosing a Web Designer

If you're looking for a new web designer, here are some tips to check out:

  • check their level of communication - do they prefer email, messenger, text, phone or cloud storage to communicate with you? How often and when will they communicate with you and you with them?
  • how 'interested' are they in finding out more about your requirements? - if they are wanting to learn more about your business and what specifics need to be on it's website, that's a great sign.
  • find out more about their business - how long have they been running their business? Is there more than one web designer and if so, who will do your work? Does it look likely that they will still be in business in the next five years?
  • what are their terms and conditions - reading the fine print is a necessary evil. It helps you find out more about what they will and won't offer, plus info on who owns the site.
  • ask for recommendations from trusted sources - asking collegues for recommendations is important, as they're going to be able to share the names of web designers they've used with you.

We can make some recommendations right here. Check out our recommended web designers who specialise in our CMS - they're great!

Tags: web design  

Posted: Monday 7 January 2019