Due to internet expansion in recent years, the web design industry shows upward acceleration of more than double digit growth every year and there is no sign of its abating in near future. There are sheer numbers of companies offering the designing services at this and that costs; means small bizs, individuals or organizations are facing with a dizzying choice of options. There are several directories on the web such as web designer directory or Dmoz that have listed hundreds to thousands of designers from all around the world by categorizing them according to region & field specificity.
Well I am sure that you already did the basics maths that you need to have a web page if you don’t have one! Even so what if you have one- there are millions on the web today. Everyone from the kid in his teens to her nanny is able to design a web site these days by using a word processor or other related program. But such home-grown effort doesn’t satisfy you at all when you compare them with professionally designed ones by skilled designers. If you are designing a non critical hobby site then it won’t matter that much but in order to have a professional look it is imperative to have a designer that will be design the web site. Ofcourse there are many in the world who claim to be qualified designer but have no real experience but still it’s not that tough to find a good one for your need specifications.
So the important key is to find a firm who understands business development, design as per your needs and have marketing flavour too; just like WDC. Here are some of the things to consider before choosing a professional web designer:
1. Credentials: Look for the designer’s professional qualifications in web design; that in which particular area are they certified. Check the “about” page on their web. Ask him does he capable of writing HTML code manually, work with languages such as JavaScript etc.
2. Work experience: Must verify how long the person has been designing sites; look at their client’s websites. Are they look professional, logical, their navigation, loading speed and search engine rankings. Also take a look at their compatibility with different browsers.
You should better ask yourself these questions:
• Do I like their style of designs?
• Does his work portfolio are suitable for my business?
• Does all of their websites depicts the products specificity or are they all showing their same breed?
3. Testimonials: Better to look at the testimonials of satisfied customers to get the overall idea of the service and design you can expect from them. The testimonies should have the email address and the site address listed so that you can contact them for further information on other quality issues.
4. Marketing skills: Just designing cool sites doesn’t mean fulfillment of a goal. Design must communicate and motivates the visitors. So your designer must be able to clearly articulate the goal of each site and how to reach the respective audience. Let him explain how their work translate into greater attendance plus increased sales.
- Technology: As the minor or major usage of advanced technologies (flash, shock wave etc), on sites is quiet common these days so must inquire the designer how much he is familiar with them. You better ask him- what’s their plan to optimize the site for search engines. If they don't know, or if they say that choosing good metatags and keywords in the content is enough then they are certainly not the best choice. You can see “Making SEO friendly website - Is an Art” for more on this topic
6. Contract and Pricing: Compare prices by surfing around the web to get an idea of the figure of how much your site design will cost you. How you’ll have to pay bill- Do you have to make any initial deposits? Ask him for their fees and what should be the estimate cost for the site by discussing site’s content and features in details. Does they charge extra for submitting your site to the main search engines.
7. Ongoing Support: You should know how to contact them to get a courteous solution to any of yours question or concerns. Make sure that it doesn’t takes long for them to get back to you. What they have a say if you want to make further improvements or additions to your site in the future relative to your business expansions?
Just following these few steps by doing extensive interviewing of potential website designer you must be assured of great design and support for your site within your budget that will contribute to the ongoing success of your business.
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