If you’re looking for a website designer, it’s probably because it’s outside your skill set or you lack the time to invest into building or modifying a website yourself. If you’re starting from scratch, you should know that you can’t create a website without spending some amount of money, even if that’s just buying and registering a domain. While that dollar amount depends on what kind of website you want to make and the goals you want to accomplish through that website, having a plan will help in mitigating cost as best as possible.

Remember, the mission is to build a business platform that your customers can utilize whether that be researching your products and/or services offerings or completing online transactions. The developer you hire will primarily be responsible for taking the vision you have for your business and its offerings and turning that into a website by incorporating the right elements to achieve the look, feel and functionality you want.

Between picking an agency or finding a freelancer, because there are so many options, finding the right designer is difficult more often than not. There are a few things that you will have to keep in mind while searching through the ranks. Freelance designers are usually cheaper to use in the short-term. The downside is that your project may extend beyond the scope of their abilities, which will ultimately lead to a parting in ways. When it comes to something as valuable as the perception of your company and future sales of your product or service, cutting corners should be the furthest thought from your mind. Compare pricing and check for guarantee(s) offered by vendor. The prices will vary from one designer to the next, but the focus should center on the quality of the work shown and whether you actually like it or not. Doing your research here will payoff down the road.

Check out potential designers’ personal websites. Portfolios showcase progress in a designer’s trade and are one of the best, if not the best, indicator for future success. 99.9% of the time his, her or their best work will be displayed here, and it will probably answer a lot of your initial questions.

Remember, it’s not enough that your website look cool. It needs to communicate a message effectively. An important consideration would be whether or not the designer’s styling is compatible with the vision you have for your website. A question to ask yourself is whether or not you actually like their work. Is it effective?

This question has been listed already, but I can’t overstate how important it is. Paying for an ineffective website is the rough equivalent of buying a broken <insert anything>. Sure, you could fix it, but you’d probably prefer to get it right the first time around. An additional question to ask yourself is whether the design is user friendly or not. If you haven’t read our blog on “Usability and Website Ergonomics,” make sure you do so. It’ll supply you with some additional considerations for website development.

Once you’ve compiled a list of candidates, interview. Check for reviews and/or client testimonials on search engine reports (e.g., Google Places) and on their website. These should serve to show how a designer performed professionally and whether or not the client was satisfied with the final product. Throughout the process, some of the prospects will take the time to send you questions about you and your business. This is important because a designer needs to be empathetic towards you, as well as your end user, and know as much about your business as possible for them to create a website that accurately reflects your vision.

An ideal candidate has the passion and curiosity to constantly learn more about how people interact with digital products. Like any other hiring process, finding the right person for the job is largely dictated by trial and error. Conceptually, like golf, it seems easy. The actual execution is a completely different story. The most important takeaway here is that this exercise is an investment in your company where the end goal lies in facilitating transactions and increasing overall revenue.

Bravo Design, Inc. has been in the business for over a decade and continues to surpass its clients’ expectations in an extraordinary way. With a wide range of service offerings including: new media development, logo, web, graphic and key art design for traditional and digital media as well as packaging and outdoor advertising, the staff here is committed to serving your needs.

We’ll take the time to learn more about you and your business and provide the tools necessary for you to forge genuine relationships with your consumer. To learn more about how Bravo Design, Inc. can contribute to your growing business, fill out a contact form by clicking here.