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Every business, big or small, now needs to have a website. Most potential customers will go to the internet first when they are looking for information, so having an attractive and effective website is a must for any business that wants to move forward.
However, even though businesses truly need a good website, it is common for business owners to be uncomfortable with the process of hiring a designer. Most of the time this occurs because it is something that the business owner is not familiar with and it is just a little bit outside of their comfort zone. While the whole situation and process can at times be intimidating, hiring the right designer and getting a great website shouldn't be something that you are avoiding.
The most important step in getting your website designed is hiring the right company or designer to do the work. Designers know that the typical customer will have very limited experience with websites, so they will be able to use their expertise to guide you through the process. Good designers wind up being a consultant as well as just doing the actual design work, so you will be in good hands if you choose the right person.
In this article we will look at 5 of the factors that you should consider when making this decision.
1. The Designer's Experience
A common misconception is that all web designers are the same. This could not be further from the truth. It's very easy for someone to start a web design business, and there is no regulatory body to prevent people who are not qualified from owning a business. As a result, there are a lot of inexperienced designers that are competing with much more experienced professionals.
As you are talking to a designer about the possibility of hiring them, be sure to ask how much experience they have, what other types of websites they have worked on, other companies they have worked with, etc.
However, not all designers who lack significant experience should be eliminated from your consideration. Even the best designers started somewhere, and someone without loads of experience may be able to do a very good job at what you are looking for. Just be aware that experience will usually have an impact on the outcome of the project and use this as one of your determining factors.
2. Work from the Portfolio
The work that the designer has done in the past should be a good indication of the quality of work that you could get from that designer. Keep in mind that there is a wide variety in terms of prices, so ask the designer to show you some work that has been done that would fall into the budget that you are proposing.
Also, it's a good idea to ask the designer if he or she has worked on any projects similar to yours in the past. For example, if you are having an e-commerce website built it may be difficult to make an accurate assessment of the designer's abilities if the portfolio does not include any e-commerce sites.
This will give you the most accurate idea of what they can do for you and what your project may wind up like.
3. Pricing
The fees of the designer typically take the number one spot for most business owners that are choosing a designer. Looking at the costs is necessary, but basing the decision almost exclusively on price is a mistake. Since there is such a wide variety in terms of designers' abilities, choosing based on price will usually leave you with a poor website.
4. Timing of the Project
Many designers who are in high demand will not be able to start on a new website immediately. There may be a waiting period to get the designer that you want to hire, so try to plan a few months in advance in case this happens. As you start talking to designers, ask when they would be able to start.
Keep in mind that many designers who are in high demand will have at least a little bit of a backlog, so try to plan your website design with enough notice that you will be able to wait on the right designer. If you have a strict deadline to complete your project, this can obviously be a more significant factor.
5. Communication
Many business owners underestimate how much communication is involved in the process of designing a website and how much impact that communication has on the end result. The designer will know very little about your business aside from what you tell him or her, and your needs and goals must also be clearly understood by the designer.
Throughout the process you will probably have a great deal of communication with the designer, so be sure that you hire someone that shows the ability and desire to communicate effectively with you.
However, even though businesses truly need a good website, it is common for business owners to be uncomfortable with the process of hiring a designer. Most of the time this occurs because it is something that the business owner is not familiar with and it is just a little bit outside of their comfort zone. While the whole situation and process can at times be intimidating, hiring the right designer and getting a great website shouldn't be something that you are avoiding.
The most important step in getting your website designed is hiring the right company or designer to do the work. Designers know that the typical customer will have very limited experience with websites, so they will be able to use their expertise to guide you through the process. Good designers wind up being a consultant as well as just doing the actual design work, so you will be in good hands if you choose the right person.
In this article we will look at 5 of the factors that you should consider when making this decision.
1. The Designer's Experience
A common misconception is that all web designers are the same. This could not be further from the truth. It's very easy for someone to start a web design business, and there is no regulatory body to prevent people who are not qualified from owning a business. As a result, there are a lot of inexperienced designers that are competing with much more experienced professionals.
As you are talking to a designer about the possibility of hiring them, be sure to ask how much experience they have, what other types of websites they have worked on, other companies they have worked with, etc.
However, not all designers who lack significant experience should be eliminated from your consideration. Even the best designers started somewhere, and someone without loads of experience may be able to do a very good job at what you are looking for. Just be aware that experience will usually have an impact on the outcome of the project and use this as one of your determining factors.
2. Work from the Portfolio
The work that the designer has done in the past should be a good indication of the quality of work that you could get from that designer. Keep in mind that there is a wide variety in terms of prices, so ask the designer to show you some work that has been done that would fall into the budget that you are proposing.
Also, it's a good idea to ask the designer if he or she has worked on any projects similar to yours in the past. For example, if you are having an e-commerce website built it may be difficult to make an accurate assessment of the designer's abilities if the portfolio does not include any e-commerce sites.
This will give you the most accurate idea of what they can do for you and what your project may wind up like.
3. Pricing
The fees of the designer typically take the number one spot for most business owners that are choosing a designer. Looking at the costs is necessary, but basing the decision almost exclusively on price is a mistake. Since there is such a wide variety in terms of designers' abilities, choosing based on price will usually leave you with a poor website.
4. Timing of the Project
Many designers who are in high demand will not be able to start on a new website immediately. There may be a waiting period to get the designer that you want to hire, so try to plan a few months in advance in case this happens. As you start talking to designers, ask when they would be able to start.
Keep in mind that many designers who are in high demand will have at least a little bit of a backlog, so try to plan your website design with enough notice that you will be able to wait on the right designer. If you have a strict deadline to complete your project, this can obviously be a more significant factor.
5. Communication
Many business owners underestimate how much communication is involved in the process of designing a website and how much impact that communication has on the end result. The designer will know very little about your business aside from what you tell him or her, and your needs and goals must also be clearly understood by the designer.
Throughout the process you will probably have a great deal of communication with the designer, so be sure that you hire someone that shows the ability and desire to communicate effectively with you.
About the Author:
Steven Snell is a web designer, marketer, and writer. He runs a popular design blog, DesignM.ag, which offers a web design job board for those who want to hire designers. Your can post a free job listing for 30 days.
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