Considering of hiring a professional web designer? Here are some points you need to consider when searching for one.
(Newswire.net — July 15, 2019) — A professional web designer, or a web design company, has not only a creativity they have developed over the years, but also know-how about technical aspects that impact both the user experience and, not least, the optimization for Google and other search engines. Here I explain not only the reasons, but also the issues to evaluate when choosing a web designer.
Why hire a professional web designer?
The first reason to hire a professional web designer – just the first one – is the aesthetic question. To put it in a direct way, a website made “by lung” is noticeable; it is evident to the naked eye. And if you want a website to do business, your cover letter has to account for your professionalism and your orientation to excellence. And your website is that, your cover letter (among other things).
But there are other less obvious reasons. Among which, surely the most important is the optimization for Google and other web search engines. It is at least expected that web design companies, or a freelance web designer, also have an expertise in SEO (search engine optimization).
If you have a business or business website (or need one), the first thing you want is for your potential customers to find your site when they search on Google. That’s what I mean with that outstanding phrase that you can see as soon as you get to the main page of this site: that your next site is visually attractive, but, above all, that it works.
A professional web designer should implement all SEO techniques that are available to deliver an optimized site for search engines. But at this point I always insist that the designer’s work is only part of the goal of achieving the first positions in Google. Asking website design companies or the freelance designer to design a site that appears first on Google is not realistic. To learn more about the subject, I recommend my article about the deceitful promises of many web design companies in relation to web positioning.
What to look at the site of the web designer?
When choosing a professional web designer, you will surely do a Google search and visit their own sites. As with any purchase decision, the price / quality ratio will be decisive. Naturally, I cannot get into your budget or tell you how much money you should invest in your next website (which, in addition, depends on a series of variables). But I will leave you some “tips” to which you can pay special attention so that you do not let yourself be seduced by deceptive images or bombastic phrases.
Of course, the first thing you pay attention to is the sensation generated by the site from the visual. If the site of the web designer does not look good, leave it, even if you bombard with posters that promote unbeatable prices. If you really want a website that is the pillar of your online presence, give up paying little money and discard freelance web designers who are “on offer”.
The equation is very simple: a well-done website takes many hours of work. A web design company or a freelance web designer who charges little money cannot devote the amount of hours required by a professional website.
Your own needs when searching for a web designer
When looking for and choosing a low cost website design specialists, your priority must always be what is most effective for your business in terms of results. Will your supplier be just a good designer, or will he be a professional who understands business? That is something that you can only know when you get in touch with the person (if he is a freelance designer) or with the company. Pay attention to the type of questions that you ask to be able to quote your site, and at your disposal to advise you and show you the different possibilities or the best options depending on what your business may need.
Even when you think, a priori, that what you need is “only” a website to make your services known, the added value of a professional web designer is, precisely, the expertise and know-how to advise you about a universe of possibilities that maybe you do not know. On this point, I recommend my article on the role of the website (and the designer) in the business strategy of companies.
The promises of the web designer that should make you distrust
I already mentioned above, in advance, some issues that you should weigh and carefully evaluate. Especially (it does not hurt to reiterate) the promises assuring that your website will appear in the first locations in Google. Also the portfolios of websites designed, but lacking links to these sites. And not least, unbeatable prices (not to mention software and free web design tools and “do it yourself”).
Additionally, a fallacy in which I myself have fallen into the past, until I realized the consequences of generating false expectations. I refer to the promotion of “self-managed” (or self-managing) websites, generally developed on the popular WordPress platform. A self-managing website does not turn any mortal into a professional web designer overnight. So, it is important to be clear about the scope (and limits) of the concept. To be clear, I invite you to read my article on what is a self-managing website, where I explain the distinctions.
Final thoughts
As I said at the beginning, your business or business website is an investment. You have to consider it that way. Developing a successful and sustainable business requires investments, both in time and money. We all seek to reduce costs in the operation of our business.
The key is to recognize sensitive and strategic areas, and “optimize” costs, which means saving without sacrificing quality and excellence, especially for your target audience, that is, your potential customers.
Your website is the axis around which your online presence strategy revolves. If your website is not the best possible, everything else you do in terms of digital marketing will be tinged with the defects and the bad experience that users have when visiting and browsing.