It seems that everyone from the 15-year-old kid to their
Grandmother is able to design a web site these days. You
could also build the site yourself using a word processor or
other web site program; however if you choose this route,
plan on spending quite a bit of time learning, to get your
site to look professional. Creating a web site is not as
simple as typing a letter.
If you want your site to look professional, it is imperative
to find a designer that will be with you from the start to
the finish of your web site and will also be there in the
future should you need changes or updates to your site. So
how do you distinguish who is a good designer or a bad one?
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Here are some important steps to take before making that
important decision:
1.Credentials - does the person or business have professional
qualifications in Web Design and the Internet? Are they
certified in any particular area of web design? You can often
check this out by going to the "about" page on their web
site. If they have taken the time to gain the qualifications,
then you know they are serious about their business.
2. Experience - how long has the person or business been
designing web sites and working with the Internet? If it is
only a short time then they may not be familiar with all the
technologies available in designing a web site and may not be
around to take care of your future needs.
Look at the design of their web site and other sites that
they have designed by going to their portfolio page. Do the
colors and text look balanced? Do all the links work, does
the site load fast and is it easy to navigate the site? Do
all the pages have a consistent look?
3. Testimonials - this will give you a good idea of the
service and design you can expect. Look through the
testimonials of satisfied customers. The testimonies should
have the email address and the web site address listed (so
you can contact them if need be). Beware of fake testimonials
in which just the name is listed but no email or site
address.
4. Vision - create a basic plan of the type of web site you
want. Do a search of other sites on the Web, to get a rough
idea of what type of site you are looking for, that is unique
to your business, (not just a copy of someone else's). Sketch
your ideas out on paper, so that when you contact your
designer, you already have a good idea of what you have in
mind.
Decide what kind of web site it should be - will it be an
informational web site, a web site that will continue to
expand as you develop your business, or an e-commerce web
site with a number of products for which you accept online
payments?
5. Technology - if you want to use advanced technologies on
your site, such as flash, shock wave, database integration,
make sure your designer is familiar with them and how this
may affect your site. They are often expensive to implement
and may not be needed for you to set up your business on the
Web.
6. Contact - make sure you can contact your designer by phone
or email and see how long it takes for them to get back to
you. If it takes a long time, then this may be an indication
of what your future contact with them will be like. Are they
helpful, professional, polite and friendly? I find this
always makes it easier to do business and less stress on
yourself, since you will want it to be a strong and stable
relationship.
7. Free Consultation - once you have a plan of what you want
on your web site (or even if you don't know where to begin),
contact your designer for a free consultation before you set
up a contract. Most web designers will give you a free
consultation if they want your business. This will help you
clarify what is expected in the design process.
8. Contract - make sure you have a contract drawn up before
you make any payments. It should state clearly what is
included in the contract e.g. how many pages, links,
graphics? Does it include marketing and maintenance of your
web site? If not, then ask what does it cost for the extras.
This can include domain name registration, scanning and
optimization of graphics and hosting. See my article
How to Choose a Hosting Company.
9. Pricing and Payment - surf around the Web to compare
prices, so you have a ballpark figure of what to expect for
your site design. You can expect to pay half of the full
price up front. If they are professional, they will accept
credit cards for online payments. Do the prices include
submitting your site to the main search engines? (This should
be done by hand if it is done properly). Don't be misled by
those that say your site will be submitted to 3000 search
engines by automatic submission software.
10. Testing - your designer should test your site before it is
completed. Will it look good in Internet Explorer as well as
Netscape browsers? What screen resolutions can it be viewed
in? It should be able to be viewed in all resolutions.
Without extensive testing, your site may not look good to a
large number of your customers.
11. Ongoing Support - support means that you know you can
contact them to get a prompt and courteous answer to any
question or concern you may have. Can the designer grow with
your web site? You may want to make additions or changes to
your site in the future especially if your business is
expanding. Does your designer have other ideas for driving
traffic to your site (since this is the lifeblood of a
successful web site)?
If you follow these 11 steps in choosing a web designer, you
can then be reassured of great design and support that will
contribute to the ongoing success of your business.
