Having a website is a great way to increase exposure for your business and help increase sales. And unless you have experience designing websites, you maybe biting off more than you can chew if you try to go it alone. Instead, hire a website designer to help get your site up and running. Before you charge full speed ahead, however, consider the following information.
Ask Yourself Questions
When you visit their site, you will probably see their portfolio and maybe decide right there on the spot that you must hire them. But hold your horses. There are a few questions you should ask yourself before hiring any web designer. These questions include:
* Has the designer have experience working with ecommerce sites?
* Have they worked on websites that function similar to mine?
* Can they design a clean and easy-to-navigate site?
* Are previous clients still using the design the designer made for them?
* Does the designer have referrals and testimonials that you can get in contact with?
Once you have picked the designer you want to hire, you will need to provide them with key information so they design a website that fits your specific situation. This information will also allow them to accurately give you a price quote and determine if they can actually complete the job.
* Tell them your budget up front. This will help ensure you and your designer are both on the same page.
* Tell them the feeling you are trying to convey on your site. This will help the designer when choosing art for your site.
* What is your main objective with your site? Do you want more traffic, subscribers or sales?
* Is there any special functionality you need? For example, are you trying to sell your products online through an ecommerce store? This is information the designer needs to know before they begin working on your website.
* Do you have a maintenance program after the site launches, or will the designer need to perform any updates that may occur.
* Give them examples of other websites you like and let the designer know what it is about these websites that you enjoy.
Never downgrade the work of a designer by saying that the whole process should be simple or that you could do it yourself if you had the time. Web designers have years of firsthand experience and expertise that you do not. If it really is that easy and you really could do it yourself, you would to save yourself money. Also, never try to get them to design your site for free. Not only is this insulting but also you wouldn't work for free so why should they? Instead, tell them your budget and want you would like. They will be able to determine if they can achieve your needs within your budget.
