Having a website for your business is a great move, but it can get really complex and overwhelming as the process goes further down the road. Stick around to learn more about the ten factors to consider before hiring a web designer.
Nowadays, you really need the help of the Internet in order to make your business a success in the long run.
Because, even if you have the most handsome, most innovative product out there, if you don't know how to use the Internet to attract potential customers, then your products or services will be collecting dust on the shelf.
According to a recent study, more than 90% of people use the Internet and/or social media to check on products, how much they cost, and where to buy them.
So how do you make your business visible in the virtual world? By having a website, of course. Some rely purely on social media, but that only has a limited scoop regardless of how big these platforms are.
A website makes it easier for you to make business with anyone anywhere and it also makes your website more credible and trustworthy.
But making a website is not a walk in the park. Not only does it require for you to know how to use web platforms or master codes and languages, it also requires the basic psychological and advertorial knowledge to be incorporated into the design.
Not to mention, you have plenty of competition out there in the world wide web. So what’s the solution?
This is where the designer comes in. A web designer's work is to create a website that is suitable for your business visions, branding, and customer interaction.
But you don't just hire the very first designer you talk with, as there are factors you have to consider first. And in this article, we will be giving you ten factors to consider before hiring a web designer.
1- Hire Someone Who Has An Extensive Knowledge In Fixing Errors
Problems like slow loading, broken links, and unaligned buttons are just some of the problems your website from time to time. There are even times when the entire website won’t load at all.
And you don’t want for the latter to happen – one hour can already have a big negative impact, what more if it stays that way for days.
When you need a web designer, make sure that he/she has an expert-level knowledge with problem solving. That way you won’t be left hanging and wasting too much time waiting for everything to be back to normal.
2- Knowledge With Art And Style Is A Plus
They are called designers, but some of them are not really big with design. What we're saying is that some of these designers just know how to code while a chosen few can really conjure up design that you will really like with matching art and style that truly complement your branding.
Your website serves as your business's storefront, the leaflet that gives your audience a chance to look at your products and services. That's why you need to present your site not just in function but also in style. A web designer who's also good with art and design is something you should consider.
3- A Web Designer Who Knows Marketing and Branding
Yes, a web designer who is a jack-of-all-trades does exist. There are web designers out there who can only design, but there are also designers who design websites, knows how to brand your business and will help you sell it to your audience.
Though these additional services come in premium prices, the good thing about this is that you will only have one person to call with everything.
4- A Web Designer Who Gets What You Want And Know How To Get It
When you need a web designer, get someone who's very collaborative. When you hire an architect to build your dream house, it's always going to be your call on what materials to use and how it should look like.
It's pretty much the same with web designers; when you want something to be added to your website, they should get what you mean right away and work on it.
5- SEO and Social Media - Smart
That's why it's important for you to hire a web designer who knows the basics of SEO, social media, and general digital marketing.
Sure, you can hire someone who has those kind of specific skills. But the important thing here is that your web designer can incorporate SEO, digital marketing, and social media to your website and its design.
It's always a plus if your web designer knows how to do this so you can spare yourself the time and effort for someone to do it for you (hire them later instead).
6- Fast Without Sacrificing Quality
When you need a web designer, you need someone who has enough experience to create the site realistically fast. This is true especially if the design that you want seem to be very complex.
A good web designer knows what they're looking at and how much time they will need in order to deliver. With that in mind, you will also be able to work on your time frame to organize schedules and sort out what you will need to do with the business, strategy-wise.
7- Who Are You Going To Call?
There are web designers who don’t live in the same state as you. You may be from Chicago but you can still hire a Miami web design agency to do business with you. This is very doable, but communication is key.
Your designer is someone who doesn’t rely too much on email, it’s much preferred if you can call them or they can call you. That way, every issues or concern can be met more effectively.
8- All Worth It
The skills of a great web designer isn’t at all affordable, that's why you should always consider it as an investment.
And because it's an investment, you should always make sure that your web designer is the right one for your money.
Sometimes web designer can deliver a great website while working on your tight budget. But that is fairly rare.
9- Someone Who Can Provide You With Online Strategies
Nowadays, web designers also come with other skills. And a good web designer knows what's going to be the best online strategies you should apply for your business and for your website.
When your web designers know SEO, digital marketing, content, and social media, that web designer is already knowledgeable with how you position your strategies to optimize the benefits of having a website and, in turn, more traffic and more sales.
You'll know you just hit the jackpot right there.
10- Up-To-Date
You need a web designer who is updated with digital marketing trends and algorithms. SEO is a very fickle thing.
One day your SEO will be the most effective one that it shoots your website straight to the top of the search results - the next day, you're gone from the list.
So when you need a web designer who can double as a digital marketing strategist, make sure they're updated with Google changes.
It's good if you can have a designer who can just meet up with you one time and do everything without asking in between.
But both of you aren't fortune tellers. Make sure you can communicate with them from time to time to check on updates and ask for any edits and changes.
In Conclusion
These are the key factors to consider when you need a web designer. Overwhelmed? That's normal. That's why is always wise to hire one to build your business website the way it should be.
The Internet is a vast world and it's getting bigger every day. You will definitely need someone who can give you that fighting chance with all the competition out there.
If you're planning to hire one in the future, always ask for portfolios, live website samples, and testimonials from previous clients. Ask them questions that have to do with the factors above.
That way, you could be able to weed out which one's for you and which ones aren't. If you're in Miami looking for a Miami web design agency, you can also check us here at Real People Working. Click on the link to check out what we can do for your business.