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Today it is absolutely necessary for any business that wants to be successful to have a website. Today's consumers expect businesses to have an effective site, and they typically will go online for information before opening the Yellow Pages or driving to the store.
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.
As you are working through the process of getting a site designed and developed, the most critical decision that must be made is hiring the right person or company to do the work. By hiring the right designer you will be working with an expert that can help to lead you through the process and will work together with you to make sure that you get a great website that works for you.
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.
When you are in the early stages of choosing a designer, ask them about their level of experience and what types of sites they have worked on in the past. Ask questions that will allow you to determine if they have worked on other projects of a similar scale in the past, and try to weed out anyone who might not be able to do a good job with your project.
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
A key consideration in making the decision should be the previous work of the designer that is part of his or her portfolio. Obviously, you will want to see work that lives up to the quality expectations that you have for your own work.
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.
Comparing items this way will help to base your decision on how your own project will turnout, not based on one amazing item from their portfolio that has nothing in common with your project.
3. Cost
Many business owners who are hiring a designer have a hard time looking at other factors aside from the cost. While cost is important, you will generally get a less-then-spectacular website if you are only willing to pay the lowest price. Keep in mind that you generally get what you pay for.
4. Timing and Availability
You may find the designer that you want to hire, but he or she may not be available to start on your website for a few weeks or a few months. This is something that you will want to ask about as your are in the initial stages of discussing your project.
If you have a tight deadline that must be met, this is a factor that you will definitely want to keep in mind, and it may even eliminate some designers from your consideration. You can help to prevent this by planning ahead.
5. Communication
Communication is absolutely essential to get the best results from your web designer. Communication is two ways, you must be able to communicate what you want and need and the designer must be able to take that and work with it. Also, the designer must be able to ask the right questions and explain things to you effectively.
You will be in contact with the designer through email and probably the phone (and maybe in person) throughout the whole process. For this reason you need to be sure that you are hiring someone who has demonstrated a strong ability to communicate 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.
As you are working through the process of getting a site designed and developed, the most critical decision that must be made is hiring the right person or company to do the work. By hiring the right designer you will be working with an expert that can help to lead you through the process and will work together with you to make sure that you get a great website that works for you.
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.
When you are in the early stages of choosing a designer, ask them about their level of experience and what types of sites they have worked on in the past. Ask questions that will allow you to determine if they have worked on other projects of a similar scale in the past, and try to weed out anyone who might not be able to do a good job with your project.
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
A key consideration in making the decision should be the previous work of the designer that is part of his or her portfolio. Obviously, you will want to see work that lives up to the quality expectations that you have for your own work.
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.
Comparing items this way will help to base your decision on how your own project will turnout, not based on one amazing item from their portfolio that has nothing in common with your project.
3. Cost
Many business owners who are hiring a designer have a hard time looking at other factors aside from the cost. While cost is important, you will generally get a less-then-spectacular website if you are only willing to pay the lowest price. Keep in mind that you generally get what you pay for.
4. Timing and Availability
You may find the designer that you want to hire, but he or she may not be available to start on your website for a few weeks or a few months. This is something that you will want to ask about as your are in the initial stages of discussing your project.
If you have a tight deadline that must be met, this is a factor that you will definitely want to keep in mind, and it may even eliminate some designers from your consideration. You can help to prevent this by planning ahead.
5. Communication
Communication is absolutely essential to get the best results from your web designer. Communication is two ways, you must be able to communicate what you want and need and the designer must be able to take that and work with it. Also, the designer must be able to ask the right questions and explain things to you effectively.
You will be in contact with the designer through email and probably the phone (and maybe in person) throughout the whole process. For this reason you need to be sure that you are hiring someone who has demonstrated a strong ability to communicate with you.
About the Author:
Steven Snell is a web designer from New Jersey. His design blog includes a design job board where you can post a listing for free if you are looking to hire a designer on a part-time, full-time, or freelance basis.
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