Hiring a Website Design Professional

If you are in the market to have a new website designed or a current website redesigned you’re probably looking to hire a website design company or freelancer that will meet your company needs. Before you go out and slap some money down on a website because some friend of a friend said they know someone who made a website let’s look at some things to consider and some facts.

Issues in hiring a website design company or freelance web design professional

Let’s face it all web design professionals are not the same. Some have a gift for visual design, some are design process experts, some are tech heads and love coding and the backend of design and some are into the search engine optimization (SEO) end of the business.

The question then becomes what do you need? Most likely your answer is a well rounded balance of all the above or access to the above.  See, all these things are required to some extent to build a successful website. The balance or blend of what percentage of these items your website needs can help you pick a professional that will work for you.

A checklist for your needs before you look:

• What kinds of information do you want on the site? How big do you think your site will be?
• Who are your users? Do you know which operating system and browser they are using?
• Will your site require regular updates? Would you like to make changes yourself?
• Will you be selling something?
• Will you need a database to store and retrieve information?
• Do you want to rely on search engines to send more traffic to your site?
• When do you need the job done?
• What is your budget?

Small Business, Tight Budget

Many web designers don’t want to hear about “tight budgets” and will tell you if you do not spend the money you will not get a product that will do the job.  Well they’re correct, kind of.  Fast, down and dirty websites will generally fail.

If you have been shopping around you’ve  seen the claims from online website software tools; “Building a web site is now easier than ever – even if you've never tried it before” …, “You can quickly build your own professional-looking Web site with our easy-to-use online tools”…  “Build a professional website in minutes, without any web hosting experience.” It is somewhat like the weight loss industry, take this pill and shed the pounds. Sounds great, but it never really seems to work without the hard work of dietary modification and regular exercise.

Budget is an issue, for you and the designer. Many web design company’s simply don’t do small money accounts (less than several thousand dollars), and that’s fine. There are many that do. However, if you are looking for a website that will meet your corporate needs and online goals don’t expect to get the results from a $300.00 website that is done in one week. Website design takes planning and thoughtful design. Your design professional should take you from the pre-design research and plan to the SEO so customers can find your site. Yes, build it and they will come doesn’t apply on the internet.

Take home message:  Have a budget range and have very specific ideas of what you need in your website’s design and performance so the web design professional you contact can formulate an accurate quote.

Searching the Right Designer

Good quality referrals are a good bet. If you own or represent a business and know of another business (that you can trust) that has a website ask questions on how their site is working for them. If they had it designed by a professional ask them about the designer.

• How through was the design process and how were they involved?
• How quick did the designer respond to communications?
• How quick does the designer update the site if they are webmaster?
• Would they recommend them?

If you get a good recommendation that’s great, but conduct your own search and find other designers for comparison.

A great place to start is the designer’s website. If their website is a mess with poor navigation, poor graphics, misspellings, broken links, flashing, blinking or moving text and simply nauseating colors maybe they are not for you. Once at the designer’s site look for & ask yourself:

• Is it easy to find information and to get back to where you started?
• Do you like the navigation system?
• Are the pages accessible (no broken links)?
• Are the pages and overall design consistent?
• Are there a contact page and site map and can they easily be found?
• Is there enough relevant information on the site about their services
• Are things aligned properly?
• Is the text easy to read?
• Do the pages load fast?
• Do links open onto the same page? Or do they indicate when they do not.
• Is there a portfolio you can view? Do they have case studies of design projects?
• Does the site make use of the right colors?
• Are page titles appropriate and informative?

The Portfolio

Look at the portfolio. What technologies does the designer use? Will this technology work for you and your viewers? Does the team follow Web standards or are they still stuck coding sites like it's the 90s? Ideally, you want your site to work independent of the user's operating system and browser.

Do they provide a link to the site only or is there a case study to give you a more in-depth look into the design?

Freelance vs. Large Design Companies

A big Web design company may appear to have a lot of credibility due to its large portfolio, many testimonials, and large collection of experts in all areas of design and development. These experts have to work together to deliver a consistent and successful package for their clients. Generally the larger design firms will charge more.

Freelancers are individuals or small group of individuals who can take on all the necessary design and development responsibilities. These kinds of providers often collaborate directly with others to get the task done, and such close collaboration among fewer people means that consistency is simple to attain. Working alone or in a small group can also create more enthusiasm and commitment to completing projects in which clients can be guaranteed satisfaction. In most cases freelance designers create a more intimate relationship with their clients and charge less.

Get the Quote!

Once you've narrowed the list, contact with the companies or individuals involved, explain your project in detail, and ask for an exact price quote. Make sure your designer can outline all costs and the work in detail for you. If you have questions, don't be frightened to ask, and bear in mind: it's not unreasonable to negotiate a reduced price if you feel the quote price is not justified.

Last Step

Check each provider's references by reading any testimonials on the site and perhaps even talking to past clients. Go to their portfolio page, locate the contact information for a couple of clients, and give them a call.

Lastly, it's a good idea to meet with the designer in person and go through your project ideas. Even at this point, you are not obligated to enlist in their services unless you are perfectly confident they are the right person for the job.

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