How To Hire A Good Web Designer: 5 Tips to Consider
New Year, New Website!
If you're looking for a great way for your business to be successful in 2023 a website is the answer.
We all know that when it comes to designing a website it isn't as straightforward as we’d like to think. There's so much more to it than just adding fancy images and text and calling it a day. If you want to ensure a successful website in the New Year, hiring a professional website designer can be one of the most important decisions you can make for your business. With some many companies out there offering their services it can be difficult to choose who's the best. Here are a few of my top tips when choosing a website designer:
Hire A Web Designer Who Does The Work.
Many so called "marketing agencies" claim they offer website design and take on work that they aren't actually performing themselves; essentially outsourcing the work to a freelancer and then taking credit for the work. While this may be a normal business practice for some, I feel that it's always best to work 1:1 with your designer as this not only helps build a trusting relationship, but also ensures there are no communication issues. If this is their practice, it's best they be transparent and up front about bringing in a freelancer to assist in the design process. Remember, having an additional person included in the design process can oftentimes result in lost translation; especially if the freelancer doesn't speak the same language.Research Designs & Features.
Part of being a business owner is knowing your competition and what methods they use that make them successful. Before jumping into building your website, make sure you do your research so you have a clear understand of what's working for your competition. What features did your competitors have on their website that stood out to you? Was there anything on there that you think your clients would find helpful? Think about what you specifically liked and didn't like about each of these websites? Did you like the aesthetic, the flow, the minimalistic concepts? Make sure the web designer you choose is also familiar with these design theories.Plan Your Content
Decide how your website will help your business. Do you want to sell inventory or schedule appointments? Are you looking to inform and educate your clients through blog posts or tutorials? Knowing how your website will help your business is important so you can translate this to your website designer, ensuring they have the skills necessary to design your website.Hire a Designer That Works For Your Client – Not You!
Are you hiring a website designer to build a website that appeases you or your target market? Sure it's great finding a designer that says yes to all your design requests, but a real designer has the courage to tell you what's going to work and what won't. Remember, you're building this website to help engage your target market, provide an enjoyable experience for them, and ultimately convert those visitors to paid clients.Ask To See Their Portfolio.
Lastly, ask to see their portfolio. Did they provide you with live websites or mock websites they designed. How recently did they build these websites? Can they provide you with an example of their design process that shows the wireframe, prototype, and final product?
Asking a potential designer questions about their previous work, strategies, or concepts should be answered with confidence. A good designer will always be able to draw from past experiences to answer any questions you may have about their process. Also, be sure the designer you choose has references you can reach out to for more information or insight.
If the interviewee appears nervous or has difficulty answering questions, take note of this.
If you or someone you know is looking to give their business a boost in the new year, a new website can be an excellent investment. Imajenn Marketing is ready to help your small business with all of your web design needs!
