Hiring a Professional vs. Do it Yourself

There are services available advertising "do it yourself web design". The end result is usually a generic site that does not look professional. If your roof is leaking, you would hire a carpenter. If your furnace is malfunctioning you would hire a heating specialist. The same should be true for web design. If you need a professional website, you should hire a professional website designer.

Finding a Website Designer

Do a search for "website designers" plus "your town name" in Google. Take a look at the first 2-3 pages of search results. You'll find freelance designers, and large design studios. Look at their sites, and their portfolio. If you like their work, check the following:

1. Visuals Skills Check

• Are the sites clean, sophisticated, fast loading, and visually appealing?
• Are the sites well organized and easy to navigate?
• Can you tell from the home page, in 5 seconds or less, what their products / services are?
• Does the designer have a style that will compliment your site objective?
• Are the sites customized to the clients needs, or are them mostly templated?

2. Technical Skills Check

• Do they have working samples of additional site features that you require?
• Are their sites search engine friendly? See search engine optimization for more.
• Do they have at least 10 sites in their portfolio?
• Can they provide additional services if you need them (logos, photos, etc.)?

3. Experience and Education Check

Web designers usually come from a computer background or a art background. The perfect designer will usually have a blend of both backgrounds. If your site is going to be highly technical, (databases, e-commerce, registrations functions, etc.) hire someone with a technical background. If your site needs to be graphically sophisticated and highly polished, hire someone with a art background.

4. Company Size and Resources Check

Smaller design companies will typically give you greater customer service and attention. They can usually turn a job around faster and for less money. Additionally, you'll most likely be dealing directly with your site designer. Larger design companies will typically have greater resources and skill sets. They may employ specialized staff for each aspect of your site. If your site requires advanced additional site features, a larger designer firm will usually be the way to go. You'll typically pay more for their expertise. Smaller shops like this one, may say "we can do this for you" when they are really only one person strong. The "we" represents themselves, their company and additional contractors they employ when required.

5. Location Check

If you don't need to meet your designer face to face, consider searching for designers outside of your area. All communications and file transfers can easily be handled by phone, e-mail and FedEx. Working long distance should not stop you from hiring the right designer for the job. Ask for client references if you are uncertain of the designers credibility.

6. Primary Service Check

Avoid companies that offers website design as part of a package deal, when website design is not their primary service. There are many internet service companies who offer hosting, domain names, internet connections as well as website design. Avoid being sucked into these come-ons. You'll want to find a services that specializes in designing websites as their primary business. They may also offer other services, which is great, but website design should be their primary business.

Narrow Your Selection

Narrow your selection to 5-10 designers and them contact them for a quote.

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