It’s one thing to realize you need a new website design, and another to know who’s right for the job. You can’t have just anyone work on this project. You need to go into a re-design with full confidence that your new site will not only be beautiful and impressive but also well-functioning and easy to navigate.
This means you need to take your time choosing a qualified web designer. It’s worth doing some in-depth research on designers in your area and those who aren’t as geographically close to you, too. You owe it to yourself to explore every option, ask a lot of questions, and compare the pros and cons of different web designers before you jump into anything.
Also, for a good list of web design questions, check out this list of 50+ Common Web Design Questions Answered!
If you’re not sure what to do when looking for a website designer, just follow the steps below.
Here are the five simple steps of finding an amazing designer for your site!
Table of Contents
Clearly Define Your Needs
Are you doing a full rebranding for your business, or do you just need to update your website? Is it time to clean up your landing pages and simplify your sitemap? Have you been thinking about starting a blog?
These are just a few of the needs that may come up during the website’s design process. But, it’s much easier to fulfill all your needs when you define them before you choose a site designer.
This ensures that whoever you hire can accomplish all the tasks that have to be done. Otherwise, you may end up having to go to multiple people in order to create one impressive, fully-functioning website!
The last thing you want to do is end up in this scenario. It will only prolong the website’s design process and it will likely become more expensive than hiring one person to do it all would be.
Set a Budget
Speaking of design expenses, take some time to set a budget for this initiative before you get too far into your search process. As much as you want a great website, you can’t afford to go broke to get it.
The good news is there are many designers out there willing to work with you on price. They may allow you to set up a payment plan or provide a unique value that’s worth paying more for. You won’t know what the best value out there is until you crunch your numbers and start reaching out to different designers, though.
Take a Look at Different Portfolios
One of the first things you should look at when researching website designers is their portfolios.
This is where you can verify that they actually offer the value they claim to be able to provide. A designer’s portfolio gives you an idea of their aesthetic style, their design skills, and their overall experience working with different industries.
It’s a good sign when a portfolio has many websites made for businesses in the same industry as yours. This indicates that a designer has a working knowledge of your specific needs in this market.
But, portfolios that cover a wide range of industries are worth taking a close look at, too. These represent a designer’s ability to create diverse websites and adhere to the unique needs of each client they work with.
See If Other Services Are Available
The next step to take in your search for a reputable web designer is to talk to them about services beyond web design. Have a conversation about your web presence as a whole. Talk about things like SEO, content marketing, and lead generation.
If a designer is able to offer solutions to support your search performance and/or improve your lead generation, you’re on the right track. This tells you that they will not only improve the display of your landing pages and the overall on-site experience that your audience gets but that you can make it easier for users to find you and connect with your brand.
Ask Questions
Just when you think you’ve found the perfect website designer for the job, make sure you take a moment to ask them a few more questions.
Get a feel for the direction they want to take with your website. Ask them what they need from you during the design process, and talk about a timeline for the project, too.
Other great questions to ask a web designer are:
- Can you educate me about web design during this process?
- Do you do any industry research before you work with a client?
- Can you ensure my site will be mobile-friendly?
- Do you provide site security with the new design?
- Who has the rights to domain/hosting when you’re done?
Rights to a website are an important matter to discuss. You have to think long-term and consider what may happen if you need to make edits in the future or if you decide to switch hosting platforms someday. The best way to handle such things is if you own the rights to your website, which isn’t always guaranteed depending on the designer you work with.
Here’s the High-Quality Website Design You Need
You can search far and wide for a reputable website design service, or, you can connect with me and discover everything I can offer your business.
I offer hosting services, SEO support, and logo design in addition to web design. I’m known for producing great work and I’ve created many websites in a wide range of industries.
If you’re curious to find out more, click here to connect!
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