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10 Tips For Finding A Good Web Designer

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10 Tips For Finding A Good Web Designer

10 Tips For Finding A Good Web Designer

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Home Page > Internet > Web Design > 10 Tips For Finding A Good Web Designer

10 Tips For Finding A Good Web Designer

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Posted: Feb 08, 2010 |

With over ten years of experience with web design consulting, I’ve gathered this list of ten tips for finding a good web designer to help avoid the traps and have a great experience developing a new website. Like a great film, a great website is all in the preparation: yours. Do the work beforehand and the actual creation of the website will be easy.

1) Assess your Needs and Make a List

Beyond a basic website, you will want to know:

a) What is the point of the website and who is looking at it? State purpose and audience.

b) What is the basic structure? Decide on main navigation.

c) Are you accepting payment information online? Add ecommerce web site development to your list.

d) Do you need good search engine ranking? Add search engine optimization (SEO).

e) Do you want animation, sound and/or video? Add Flash web site design and video.

f) Do you need online forms and any downloading? Add dynamic forms.

g) Do you need to be able to update the website yourself? Add content management system (CMS).

Be as detailed as possible.

2) Gather a list of your favorite sites by look and feel

Everyone has their own taste. Two people might say the words “simple and clean” and it can mean different things to them visually. You will want to do more showing and do less describing.

3) Gather a list of websites that are similar to what you are doing

Your site might have almost the exact same purpose and functionality as another site. Make sure to include that in a list that you provide to your designer.

4) Get the contact info of the web designer of those websites

If you find websites that you like, why not find out who designed them?

5) Ask respected business associates if they know a good designer

Be careful here, always check these web designers’ references and assess their work, even if your own relatives recommended them. I have seen a lot of good intentions go bad, so trust your instincts.

6) Craigslist and Web Design Directory

Search online for the National Website Design Directory. They have a list of graphic design companies in your area and you can look at their websites. Also you can place an ad in Craigslist or do online searches like “Orange County Web Design” to find companies near you. Ask a lot of questions and make sure people are responsive, intelligent and are answering your specific questions clearly and with detail. Interview them in person or on the phone and get a feeling for their integrity.

7) Stay Local

I recommend working with someone local so that you can possibly meet with them and develop a more personable, communicative and therefore trusting relationship.

Ask for a formal proposal

This proposal will show that they understand exactly what you need. Read proposals carefully, people will use template proposals or make things up that sound good or technical. Don’t gloss over the technical-ask questions if it is not clear to you. Make sure it is relevant to your needs.

9) Compare bids by quality, not price

A low web design price is attractive, but time is money too and if someone gets it wrong, you will have to do it all over again and spend more money and lose a lot of time. A good web designer will not undervalue themselves.

10) Do not pay the whole fee upfront and regularly assess progress

Check in regularly to see how your site is doing. Don’t be afraid to ask for changes or to give honest feedback.

If you follow these tips, you should feel very confident that you have done the work of finding the right web professional for you.

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Maria Markosov -
About the Author:

Maria Markosov is an award-winning web consultant and founder of Marimar Designs, a web and graphic design company in Los Angeles, CA.

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