With the influx of web designers in the market, choosing a suitable business or individual to design your site can be a frustrating process. Here are a few tips that can help you make this crucial decision.
1. Purpose
Before you begin searching for a web designer, you should first think about the kind of site you would want to have. Do you want to build an ecommerce shop like, for example, MotoCMS website templates which will involve online payment? Or do you just want an informational website? These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself. You can look at other related sites on the internet to get an idea of what you need.
2. Experience
Find out how long the business or individual has been designing websites. It would be advisable to work with designers who have several years experience. Someone who has been in the field for a short time might not have the skills necessary to meet all your requirements. One of the best ways of assessing their aptitude is by looking at sites they have designed before. Does the site appear professional? Is the site easy to navigate? Does the site load quickly? Are all the links functional? Is the text easy to read? Are the colors balanced?
3. Credentials
Credentials are very important when looking for a web designer. Does the designer possess any certification in a specific aspect of web design? This can be verified by looking at the ‘about’ page in their site. A web designer that has a few credentials under their belt is likely to deliver a more quality product.
4. Customer service
Before settling on any designer, take time to ask a few questions via email or phone. Observe the time period between the inquiry and the response. If they take too long to respond, this could be an indication of their unreliability. In addition, find out if they are professional, friendly and helpful in their response. If they have poor customer service, it would be advisable to move on to the next designer.
5. Contract
Before making any commitment, you need to have a written contract with the client. This contract should specify what exactly is involved in the agreement. Does the deal involve maintenance of your site? How many pages will the site have? Will the designer handle the optimization of text and graphics? Does the contract include domain hosting?
6. Pricing
Carry out some research to find out how much it would cost to design the kind off site you want. You can then look for a designer whose rates fall within the same price range. Ask them how they would want to be paid. In most cases, designers require a down payment of about 50% of the total price. In addition, you need to find out if you will have to pay extra to have your site submitted to the leading search engines.
6. Maintenance
Find a designer who will not only build your site, but also provide ongoing maintenance. This is especially important if there is a possibility of your site growing or changing in future. It would also be advisable to choose a designer who would offer support in terms of driving traffic to your site.
About the Author
Charles Mburugu is a professional blogger who loves sharing blogging, web development, social media, internet marketing and SEO tips.
This is an original article from WP Cypher Copyright 2012