Searching for the right web designer is very important and especially difficult for clients who have no prior knowledge about web design. Not only should your web designer deliver an end product that you are completely happy with, you should be able to work well with them. The relationship with your web designer could continue well beyond the delivery of the finished website so you need to be selective with who you are hiring. I’ve composed a list of the top 10 questions to ask a prospective web designer before hiring.
Do you do custom design or use templates?
While most clients expect their designers to come up with their own designs, many web designers are using templates or pre-made themes. Using templates may save on time and cost, but the end result is a website that is not uniquely yours. If you want your business to stand out from the crowd, I definitely recommend going for a custom design.
Do you offer in-person consultations?
If the designer responds “No” to this question, do not hire them. I have not designed a single website without first meeting with the client and going through an extensive consultation session. Without the person-to-person interaction, it’s very difficult to really get to know a client and to be able to capture the essence of their business in the final design.
How many revisions do you offer?
Most web designers will offer a limited number of revisions. You need to know how many revisions you get to be more prepared when providing content and feedback. It’s always best to provide final content so that you’re not wasting rounds of revisions on text changes that could have been done prior to sending content to the designer. I recommend saving the revisions for more important design-related changes to get the final design exactly the way you want it.
Do you test for browser compatibility?
As a business owner, it is crucial for your website to function and display correctly on all browsers. While your website may look great on Mozilla Firefox, it may show up completely differently on Internet Explorer. A good web designer should test your website on all browsers.
Would the site be search engine friendly?
The way your website is designed is the first step towards effective search engine optimization. Search engines such as Google.com “crawl” through your website’s code to determine how your website is ranked for certain keywords. A good designer should know the techniques used to make a website search engine friendly and incorporate them in the design.
Can you provide a portfolio of previous work?
Looking at a designer’s previous work allows you to get a sense of their style and taste. If a designer has a specific style that is seen across their work, make sure that their style is inline with what you envision for your website. Don’t worry if the portfolio doesn’t show a website for your specific type of business or industry. A good designer is versatile and can work with many different styles.
What is your process?
Getting to know a designer’s process is crucial in evaluating the quality of their work. Does the designer spend a lot of time on research and planning? If so, you will more likely receive an end product that is solid and well thought out. When will you see the first design comps? Would there be a testing and QA phase at the end of the project? These types of things are very important to know. The last thing you want is to be left in the dark and be presented with a finished product that you do not like.
Do you design for usability?
Your website is essentially a tool for your customers to find out more information about your business. If your customers do not know how to use your website, you may as well not have one at all. Aside from great aesthetics, your website should be easy to navigate and lead your customers to the most important information that they’re looking for. Good web designers know the importance of usability and plan for it from the start.
Who has ownership of the finished website
Many clients assume that they own the finished website because they paid for its design and development. This is reasonable thinking but there are some web designers who will actually retain ownership of the website. This makes it difficult when you want to have someone else take over the maintenance of the site or if you want to move the website to another hosting service or domain. Make sure that the designer gives you full ownership of the website and provide all of the files to you.
What other services do you offer?
Clients who are just starting out with new businesses usually need other design work in addition to a website. Selecting a web designer who also specializes in other design services such as logo design and print design will save you a lot of time by allowing you to work with one designer for all your design needs. Using one designer for all of your design work also ensures consistency in the style of your marketing material. Lastly, many designers offer package discounts so you would be saving money on top of everything else.
