Many of my clients are small business owners who have been “burnt” by incompetent, fradulent website designers. They have been left with hideous, incomplete websites that don’t work properly. Their web designers suddenly vanish and can never be found when my client attempts to contact them.
Well enough is enough. Today I am going to lead you in the right direction > PDR Web Solutions. Here are a few tips on choosing the right web designer.
If you want it done right…. Do not get your friend’s, uncle’s, brother’s, son who is graduating from the 6th grade, to do your website. The internet is a powerful tool. Anybody in the world can visit your website with the click of a few buttons. It is important that you portray a professional online presence because it reflects the image of your business. Invest the money into a professional web designer to design your website.
Ask your web designer these questions before you hire him/her:
13 Questions to ask your web designer
1. How long have you been designing websites?
Just make sure he/she didn’t finish taking a 30 day course on web design at your local library. Those qualifications do not make him/her a professional web designer.
2. Do you do design full time? If not, what is your full time job?
Full Time. Yes. Great. If not, then make sure his job is computer/design related and ask how many years he/she has been designing. You wouldn’t let a bus driver perform open heart surgery on you, right? Ok, same concept here.
3. Do you have a website?
That’s like someone teaching you how to drive, but they never had a car…. nor license. Your web designer should have a website.
4. Do you have a portfolio or projects that you have already completed?
This question is very important. This is where you get to see:
- The level of professionalism of his/her past work
- How well the websites rank in search engines
- Functionality of the website
- Industries that he/she has already designed for
- Logical design- is it easy to navigate through the website?
5. What type of programming languages are you familiar with?
He/she should easily be able to name a few. CSS and HTML/XHTML are the most common. Here are a few others: PHP, JavaScript, Flash/Actionscript.
6. What programs do you use?
He/she should name a few programs. Here are a few common programs used for web design: Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Photoshop, Gimp, FrontPage.
7. What are the steps in your website design process?
Every professional website designer should have a website design process that they follow!
- Initial Meeting: This is where we discuss about your business and the details of your website.
- Website estimate/proposal: This will list estimated labor hours and features of the website
- Proposal approval
- Sign contract and collect deposit
- Begin designing website
- Send client updates on progress of website
- Present website to customer
- Fix any errors or requests from client
- Publish website
- Give client all graphics used for website
- Have client sign website completion/satisfaction form
8. Notice your web designer’s actions
Does he use contracts? Does he sound knowledgeable? Does he keep up to date with the latest design industry news? A sloppy, unorganized, uninformed designer is a formula for disaster.
9. Did he set a date to discuss more about your business and your website?
Very important. The designer can’t create a website that will communicate to your potential customers without meeting with you to discuss fundamental factors such as your target market
10. Does he use contracts?
Have you heard of a business that doesn’t issue receipts? Contracts help protect you the client and the designer. Use protection.
11. Did he take notes at the inital meeting?
Don’t waste your time talking to yourself, make sure your designer listens, remembers and caters to your business website needs.
12. Did he ask questions?
The designer should be trying to educate himself on your business, target market, industry and your business website needs. You, the client should be doing most of the talking. The designer should be listening.
To get started, your web designer should ask for a deposit, NOT the entire sum of the website contract.
Very important!! I’ve heard too many terrible stories where a designer takes the client’s money and disappears. Put down a deposit and make sure everything is in writing (contract).
Your website should help grow your business!
You can’t grow your business without marketing. You are defeating the purpose of a website if your potential customer can’t find your website in any of the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, Msn).
13. Ask your website designer if they know the latest search engine optimization techniques. It is important that they stay abreast of the latest techniques because the rules change frequently.
