Your website is the digital storefront of your business.
It’s how you present yourself to the world these days.
It’s your first impression with online visitors.
Choosing a web designer to build your website is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a business owner – don’t make it lightly. There are thousands and thousands of website designers out there, and not all are created equal.
The general consensus is business owners should re-evaluate their websites about every three years. Whether you’re looking for a complete web design or a re-design, you need an expert you can jive with.
In this post, we provide a business owner’s guide to choosing a web designer – and the critical steps involved. Let’s get into it.
Check Out Their Portfolio
Every web designer has their own style – and it needs to mesh with your vision for your website. When you’re choosing a web designer, the first step in the process is looking at their past projects (their portfolio).
Ideally, you want to look for projects they’ve done within your industry. In addition to their design style, there are a few key questions you need to answer as you’re looking through their portfolio:
- Does the design create an instant sense of professionalism and authority?
- Is the content easy to understand?
- Does the user experience guide people to take action?
Try to look at each project through a customer’s lens. Would you reach out to this company and give them your hard-earned money?
Be honest with yourself. You can be picky here.
Examining a web designer’s portfolio will help you determine how their sense of style can help present your company.
Don’t Shy Away from Pricing
We want to start by saying that web design services are not cheap – and you get what you pay for.
The process of choosing a web designer will always come down to pricing.
It’s best for everyone to address the elephant in the room sooner rather than later. When you ask a web designer about pricing, there are a few things to look for.
The most important one is transparency. A good web designer makes their pricing easy to understand – and has no hidden fees or shady upcharges. Additionally, they should explain everything related to pricing in detail before the project kicks off.
The designer (or web design agency) may request a deposit once the project begins – or they may even require 100% upfront. It’s important to discuss the pricing options with your designer and find a solution that works for everyone.
Get a Feel for Their Turnaround Times
When choosing a web designer, you’ll need to consider their timeframe for completing your project.
Designing a website takes time – typically between 10 to 12 weeks depending on the scope of the project. Everyone wants their website to be built as quickly as possible – but it’s important to understand that an experienced website designer has a lot of demand.
Regardless of how busy the web designer is, there are a few signs that indicate you’ve found a good one.
- Are they upfront about their workload?
- Do they set realistic expectations with timelines?
- Are they responsive?
- Have they explained their turnaround times for edits?
- Did they explain their process for keeping the project on track?
Good web designers may be busy and have longer timelines to complete a project, but this doesn’t mean they can be flaky. The best website designers set clear expectations and make you feel valued throughout the entire process.
The last thing you want is to feel like you’re in the dark or that your project doesn’t matter.
Gauge Their Web Design Process
Web designers are only as good as their process.
An experienced web designer will have a battle-tested discovery process to understand your values, vision, and expectations to accurately represent your company.
Every web design process is different, but a professional designer will take the time to understand your needs on the ground floor and develop a customized strategy.
A rudimentary discovery process is a giant red flag that indicates a designer – or web design agency – doesn’t have a strong formula and may not be a good fit.
On a basic level, the web design process should start with a discovery phase that explains:
- Your company’s story
- Your values in providing products or services to customers
- What makes you different than your competitors
Before the project begins, you need to feel confident that the designer understands your needs specifically. Trust your gut here.
If a web designer doesn’t prioritize discovery, they may not be invested in creating a website that fits your vision.
Ask for a Walkthrough Demonstration
Professional website designers do not rely on guesswork or haphazard approaches.
They have a well-defined, proven process for gathering information from clients, designing websites from start to finish, and managing day-to-day progress and adjustments.
When you’re choosing a web designer or web design company, it’s important to request a brief demonstration of their process. Any professional web design agency will be happy to show you how they approach new websites and how they will manage your project.
Having a clear understanding of the web designer’s process before the project starts is essential to keep everyone on the same page from the outset – and that the final product will meet your expectations.
An expert web designer won’t mince words or beat around the bush when explaining their process – they’ll be transparent and confident. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. They should be happy to answer.
See if Copywriting is Included
When it comes to website design, the copy (text) is arguably the most important piece of the puzzle. Without it, your website is little more than a hodgepodge of images and colors. Whether you’re starting from scratch or redesigning an existing website, the value of high-quality copy should not be underestimated.
There are very few web designers who can also write engaging web copy. That’s why it’s recommended to hire a full-service web agency with a dedicated copywriter who can work directly with the web designer.
Here’s the catch: the team you choose must understand how to write client-centric copy specifically for your industry. Copywriting requires a specialized approach that complements the design process, development, search engine optimization, and other business initiatives.
Don’t settle for subpar copywriting.
If a web design team doesn’t have proven experience in writing websites, find a copywriter who does. At the end of the day, your website’s copy makes or breaks the user experience – no matter how beautiful your website is.
See if SEO Optimization is Included
People don’t flip through the yellow pages to find businesses anymore. They turn to the almighty Google.
That’s where SEO (search engine optimization) comes in – it’s the process of getting your website placed on relevant Google searches. For example, if you’re a clothing thrift store in Atlanta, you need your website to show up on Google when people search for “thrift store Atlanta” or “clothing store near me”.
New websites need to be built following SEO best practices.
SEO goes hand in hand with website copywriting, design, and development. If you want to get your site placed on Google searches, there’s no getting around this when choosing a web designer or agency.
A reputable web design agency should incorporate a variety of SEO tactics into your website’s design, including:
- Keyword research
- Optimizing website structure and navigation
- Creating natural-sounding content rich with keywords
- Fast website speed
- Mobile-friendly design
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
By incorporating these tactics into the website design process, your site will gain visibility and attract more potential clients. At the end of the day, a beautiful website won’t do much good if no one can find it online.
The Wrap
Choosing a web designer – or web design agency – to build your website is a layered process.
Keep in mind, this expert (or team of experts) is responsible for how you present yourself to the world online. Take your time here and be picky.
Hopefully, our post has provided some good direction in your search and helps you find the perfect web designer to meet your needs.
At Design Staff, we provide a full suite of web services to growing businesses. This includes web design, web development, copywriting, SEO, ongoing maintenance, and more. Get in touch with our team today!
