Shopping for a Web Designer 
You’ve taken the plunge. You’re ready to get your business on the Web. You realize the millions of potential customers you could be reaching on the Internet. You’ve registered a domain name, found a great Web host and now… well, you’ve got a blank slate… an empty canvas. You’ve decided that you can’t possibly have the customized site desire without employing the services of a professional. Now the question is, how do you know if you’ve found someone worthy of your project? Since there are seemingly thousands of qualified Web designers out there, it can be a challenge to know what to look for in a designer, expect from the experience, and most importantly, how fast your site will be ready to launch.
Before we get started
Designers across the board agree that you absolutely have to know what your site’s objectives are before they even want to meet with you. “Before we start any Web site, we need to know what our client’s reason is for having a site,” states Sandra Marsico, Adjunct Instructor, Westwood College of Technology
Designers across the board agree that you absolutely have to know what your site’s objectives are before they even want to meet with you.
and Founder of Sandstorm Design (www.sandstormdesign.com). “Then we want to know where they see their company going in the next five years so that we can build a site to grow with them; not outgrow them.”
Presumably, you’ve thought about your reasons for wanting to launch a Web site. You’ve made the decision to either sell your products and services online or to provide information and a professional edge to your business. What other questions should you ask yourself before consulting the Web designer directory?
Erin Sloan, Owner & Artist, Sloan Designs (www.sloandesigns.com) prepares a checklist of questions that she poses to clients right at the beginning of the project, including:
1. Are you looking for an entirely new site design or for updates to an existing Web site?
2. How many pages do you anticipate your site having? (Hint: Think of one Web page as an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.)
3. Do you have a logo?
4. Is there existing print material or stock images that can be used for your Web site?
5. Does your company have a brand identity?
Once you have the dimensions of the project in mind, it’s also important to think about what you like and don’t like in design. The easiest way to figure that out is by finding some sites that already exist and benchmarking them so you have concrete examples to share with your designer. “I ask upfront, do you have three to four URLs of sites you like? Also, who are your competitors?” says Esten Sesto, Project6 Design (www.project6.com).
Looking at competitor sites is a great way to decide what you need to include on your site as well as what kind of layout works and doesn’t work. Don’t only limit yourself to checking similar sites, however, this may be the one time in your business where you can really go out on a limb to build your dream site.
Uh, how much does that cost?
As with all professionally outsourced projects, hiring a Web designer has to be something you take into account when youre planning your budget. Most Web designers want to know your budget upfront. You have to be sure that your dream site can be built within your realistic
Most Web designers want to know your budget upfront. You have to be sure that your dream site can be built within your realistic budget. If that’s not possible, be prepared to scale it back with less, pages, functionality or images.
budget. If thats not possible, be prepared to scale it back with less pages, functionality or images. Buying stock photos can be a quick way to spend a limited budget. Using general graphics or spot color may be a better approach. Another option is to build your site in phases. Your initial launch doesnt have to be the site you still use in a years time. Sandstorm Design often works in phases for clients, Marsico remarks. We will begin with a site that fits their budget, with the ability to grow down the road. This approach is very popular—especially with small companies.
Obviously the more complicated your site—more pages; more design elements such as Flash, multimedia, photography; more technical capabilities such as advanced databases or security measures—all come into play when designers consider price; but what about an average? How can you plan a budget without some starting point?
The budget will vary based on functionality, schedule and page count. This will also vary based on the level of experience of the design firm and their overhead, states Sesto. Budgets can range from $5,000 to $30,000 and up. The average a small business owner can expect is probably less than $10,000.
Marsico concurs, I would say that $5,000 would make you competitive, give the online presence of a strong company, and allow you some flexibility with online features.
Do I really need a professional?
At this point, you probably have one of two thoughts. One: Thats a bargain! Two: Maybe it would be better to build my site myself using a template-based tool. Either choice is fine and there are a number of very easy-to-use site building tools, such as Hostways site builder, that give you guidance, flexibility, and
Remember that if you choose not to outsource, you’ll have the cost of either your own time or one of your employee’s time to also take into account as well as the resources used in hardware capabilities.
a professional-looking site. If youre more technically savvy or want to invest in the software, you can also use a Web site design package such as Microsoft® FrontPage®. So, why would you want to outsource?
Templates are fine, begins Sloan, but you have very little control over the look and feel, and you are definitely limiting yourself in the future growth of your Web site. Theres also something to be said for having a unique creation. Youll have more design options, more opportunities to the make the site functional, i.e., scripting, online forms, etc., Sloan continues, and youll provide your audience with a Web experience that is unique to your company.
Like all the decisions you make for your business, the most important thing to do is weigh all of your options, and then determine the costs and benefits before proceeding with a decision. Dont just look at costs in terms of dollars and cents either. Remember that if you choose not to outsource, youll have the cost of either your own time or one of your employees time to also take into account as well as the resources used in hardware capabilities.
I want everything and I want it now
Another aspect to consider before making your choice is your schedule. When you hire an outside designer, you not only have to determine your own schedule, you also need to see where your project fits into the firms schedule. On the one hand, you want to find someone who has adequate experience and an impressive client list; on the other hand, you dont want to have to wait months on end for that person to be able to squeeze your site on the schedule.
Once you do have a designer, you can expect to spend a bit of time from your site concept to launch. For a small business Web site, the average time from initial client meeting to live date is between 30 to 60 days. Marsico says. Naturally, your preparedness also comes into play. If you dont have any content ready or ideas about how you want your site navigation to flow, the process can be longer. That said, youll always find designers who are willing to work harder for you if you have your heart set on a launch date, but the cost may increase. We did do a Web site in a week once, remembers Marsico, but the client had all of his content, knew exactly what he wanted, and we worked day and night—but it did get done.
Know Thy Designer
So you know that you need to be prepared and you expect that your designer will also be prepared. Its imperative that you feel confident with the designer you have chosen. You will be investing a substantial amount in your site, so you need to feel like the money and time will be well spent. Marsico recommends you look for a designer with at least 6-10 pieces in his or her portfolio. She also cautions, Look for someone with branding experience. You don not need to have a designer with specific expertise in your industry. Typically, you will get a fresh perspective if you go with a designer that has not done all of his work for a particular industry.
You know your own preferences and style; look for a designer that complements those choices as evidenced by his or her previous work. Its also important to feel confident about sharing your opinions. After all, its your site.
What does that mean for how much input you will get or how many choices you will have? A business owner is THE client and has as much input as he or she wants. Marsico says. The majority of the time spent with a small business owner is in the beginning, discussing competitors, company goals, sites they like, etc. Once those discussions are complete, the real fun begins. You get to see concepts and mock-ups, which means a final decision wont be far off.
While there are certainly a lot of things to think about when choosing a Web designer, the experience as a whole should leave you happy, more in touch with your business goals and with a great-looking and functionally sound site.
While you should never feel like you cant share your ideas for your site, you should also keep in mind that the person youve decided to hire is a professional and has (hopefully) done this before. Dont temper your excitement, but do be courteous. The ideas you may want to trash are someones artistic work and vision. Keep your discussions positive and constructive. Consider beginning conversations by telling the designer what you like and why, that will give him a basis for your overall impressions of his work. It doesnt do anyone any good to demand that you see countless revisions without ever giving direction about what it is you are looking for.
But what if you really just have no idea if the person youve hired is indeed as good as his portfolio made him seem? How can you really tell if a Web designer knows what hes doing?
The more questions the designer asks up front the better, insists Sesto. If he doesnt ask many questions, how could he know what the client is looking for? A designer should not simply be creating something that looks good. That person needs to find out what the big picture is first, make the site easy to use second, and then start the design process.
Ready To Launch
While there are certainly a lot of things to think about when choosing a Web designer, the experience as a whole should leave you happy, more in touch with your business goals and with a great-looking and functionally sound site. Do your homework, compare your options and trust your instincts and youll be ahead of the game.
The most important thing for a designer is to treat the web page he is creating from a User friendly page rather than a Developer friendly. Navigation must be simple and consistent.Instead of asking, “Does this site look good?” ask, “Would this site make me want to buy a product if I was in that site’s target market?”
Glad I’ve finally found something I agree with! Additionally usig those website builder tools arent that easy.