Why should you hire a web designer?

The world of web design can be very unfamiliar territory for most people.

As professional website designers, we want to help you make informed decisions regarding your website.

When you are deciding on which designer you are interested in working with, there are some basic questions that can help you with the decision. Here are a few – you will no doubt have more of your own to add to the list.

First of all - find out if they are available and interested in working on your project. This may seem to go without saying, but it is surprising how often I have had people just assume we can start immediately, without thinking that we may have other projects to complete before taking on more. We schedule our time carefully, to be able to give each project the attention it deserves.

Find out - if they have any other clients that are in your industry. A lot of times, it isn't necessary for a designer to have experience in your industry because there should be a research phase where they study your industry before starting on your project, but some designers do cater to specific niches. A good example of this is our partner, Alpha Mare Web Design, who cater to the equine world. If it has to do with horses, they’re your number 1 choice.

Ask if - they have the right team of people and skills to meet your needs. Some designers are just one or two man shops, but work with other professionals as needed to provide whole website solutions (programming, SEO, copywriting, photography, online marketing, etc.) It's good to get a general idea of how they work so that you know what to expect.

Ask what - their process is. Are they willing to collaborate with you and keep you abreast of updates in a timely manner? DigitalInsite's process and timeline are outlined in other articles on this site, so you can get an idea of how we work.

Make sure - you know what information they need from you. Often designers will get back to you after reading your RFP (Request For Proposal) document and have additional questions about your project. At DigitalInsite, we feel it is extremely important to stay in communication with the client throughout the process. This prevents time-consuming and sometimes costly delays in completing the project.

Find out - who your primary contact for the project will be. It's good to know if you will be in contact directly with the project manager or the designer. You should expect to be in contact with just one person throughout the process in order to avoid unnecessary communication complications.

Do they - offer maintenance and/or training services? Some designers don't handle maintenance after the project is done. If they don't provide maintenance services, are they willing to train you to update and maintain your own site? Here at DigitalInsite, we can arrange for any combination of maintenance and training, to suit the individual client.

Will they - provide ongoing support of your site after it has launched? If so, what is the support period for bugs and fixes?

 

These are some of the basic points you should cover when interviewing a designer – I’m sure you’ll add to the list whatever questions pertain to your individual situation.

 

Have more questions?

If you don't find the answers you need on this page, please contact us, and we will be glad to give you whatever information you need.