It is the desire of almost every business owner to create a unique website that stands out from the competition and drives striking results. However, this can be difficult to achieve if you do not have the right expert to partner with you.
To attain a quality and fully customizable website, you need to hire a website designer. Not only will they transform your website, but they will also ensure that everything runs smoothly. If you are contemplating finding the right website designer for your project, read on for effective tips.
1. Understand your Needs
Before you start your search for a web designer, first take the time to understand what you want for your project and what you do not want. Do you want a more conservative site or a modern, trendy site? Do you want a website where people will purchase products, sign up for leads or donate? Also, understand what you need in terms of content, outline, and design styles.
When you know what your primary goals are, it will be easier to communicate them to the web designer. Basically, the more you know about what you want for your new website, the better the experience you will have with the designer.
2. Evaluate the Web Designer’s Portfolio
The web designer’s portfolio and current work will enable you to determine whether they are best suited for your website. Professional and reliable designers will have a solid portfolio on their website that shows projects they have tackled in the past.
This will help you to judge the quality of their work and decide whether they suit your taste and preference. Ensure to keep an eye on vital details like content management, aesthetic styles, colour, layout, usability, user experience, and more. You can as well measure their style and skill by examining the design of their website. Do not hire the designer if their website is not something you would like to emulate.
3. Ask for References
In addition to previewing a web designer’s portfolio, it is a good idea to ask for previous references. While portfolios show you what the web designer has accomplished, references will help you understand how well or not they do the job.
Ask for references for both existing and past customers and take the time to contact each reference. Find out whether the web designer was able to meet their needs and deliver the project within the specified time and budget. Also inquire about their overall experience working with the website designer.
4. Extensive Experience
When you hire a website designer to handle your design project, it is good to ensure that they are experts in their craft. Experienced web designers are more likely to be familiar with the ins and outs of web design. With their experience, they can help you understand what your website needs to drive impressive results.
Also, unlike novice web designers, experienced designers have the right web design resources that enables them to build effective websites. Hence, they will guarantee to create a strong website that will not only converts, but also enables you attain your business goals.
5. Knowledge of CMS
You should opt for a web designer that is well-versed with building sites on CMS or your platform of choice. For instance, if you have selected CMS like WordPress, HubSpot or Drupal, a good designer will have the know-how of building sites on these platforms. Better yet, they should be able to help you decide on the best CMS for your business if you have not chosen one yet.
Apart from CMS, the web designer should also be well-versed in programming languages such as HTML, CSS, Magento, etc. as well as other web design tools and software to help in developing a quality website design.
6. Knowledge of SEO
In addition to extensive CMS knowledge, an excellent website designer should have a firm understanding and use of Search Engine Optimization practices when designing websites. SEO not only boosts your site visibility, but also increases the volume of organic visitors and renders it more marketable. With the use of SEO practices, a good designer will design your website in a way that increases sales and traffic.
7. Effective Communication Skills
It goes without saying that a good website designer needs to have good communication skills. This will help those articulate ideas to prospective clients in a clear and precise manner.
You want to entrust your web design project to a designer that will clearly explain to you the details of the project and keep you updated throughout. A website design project is a long-term business partnership, which is why effective communication skills matter. You can access the prospect’s communication and engagement skills during the interview.
8. Schedule Interview
Once you have narrowed down your list of prospective website designers, the next best thing is to schedule an interview with them. Use this time to discuss with them your project scope, business goals and the future plan.
Also, take time to listen to how they intend to achieve your web design project. Inquire what services they offer, how many employees they have and whether they have earned awards for their design work. These questions will help you narrow your list further until you are down to the most suitable web designer for your project.
9. Contract
Before you get down to work with your designer of choice, make sure that you go through their contract. Professional and reputable web designers offer contracts with reasonable terms to protect the client from losing money.
A good contract should be detailed and include key elements like pricing, deadline of project, goals, deliverables, etc. Before you sign the fine print, it is advisable to inquire about the pricing method that the designer uses. Some web designers use flat project pricing model while others charge based by the hour. Ask for clarifications about their pricing and decide whether it matches your budgetary needs.
Hiring the Right Web Designer
Ultimately, the best web designer should understand your needs and have a combination of the right skills and experience. They can help you create a beautiful yet fully functional website that stands out from the competition and provides an exceptional experience for your audience.
Author Credit: Working as a freelance content writer is not only Chloe Philips’ profession but her hobby too. She loves to write about fashion design, interior décor and blogging. Connect with her to find out how she can help you in your content development strategy.
