How to Choose a Web Designer
Finding the right website designer can be a daunting process. Here are eight things to consider when looking for someone to help you get your site launched.
#1 Decide if you're comfortable working with your web designer remotely or in person
It’s a normal human impulse to want to find a service provider near you. However your web designer doesn’t actually need to live anywhere near you.
I live in Munich, Germany and in the last month I have worked with clients in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Zurich, Barbados and London. I worked this way *before* the Pandemic. It may have felt more natural to me because in my corporate years I did n’t work in a co-located team and it was normal to work in different time zones.
However that may not be right for you. The point is, if it’s not crucial that you meet your designer face to face, you may want to consider widening your net. If you come across someone that seems like a really good fit, she doesn’t have to be in your city or town, or even in your country!
You’ll need to consider your lifestyle and time zone differences. Depending on how far away from one another you live, you may need to have a late night or early morning calls from time to time. If that doesn’t work for you, better to work with someone closer to home.
#2 Find a website designer who fits your working style
How do you like to work? Is your goal expedience? Do you just want to get your project done? Or do you want to go deep into the process, taking time to consider every decision in the process.
Do you know what you want and just need someone to help you execute your vision or do you want someone to guide you every step of the way?
Do you like to keep communication efficient or do you want a lot of calls, emails and communication during your web design project? These are things to clarify for yourself and ask your designer about.
#3 Does the designer questions about your business goals and objectives?
Designing a website is not just a matter of putting together a professional looking site. That’s important of course, but your website can and should help you meet specific business goals.
These goals can include things like building your mailing list, booking more discovery calls and guiding website visitors to specific content. Your web designer should not only be interested in your business objectives, but design and build you a site that works to achieve those goals.
#4 Your web designer should be clear about project scope and timelines
Your designer should be able to clearly articulate what (scope) you’re getting: A website with (x) pages, x amount of integrations (email, scheduling, commence), the service doesn’t include email marketing support, etc.
This boundary setting may feel restrictive, but it’s beneficial to both the designer and you.
A website isn’t a product on a shelf you can pick up and examine. When the scope of the project are clarified it helps you understand what you’re getting and whether or not you need more or less.
This prevents a misalignment of expectations. A good designer will do this with empathy and skill. It’s a GOOD sign; your designer wants you to understand what you get.
A good designer will also provide a clear timelines and explain what kind of decisions/changes will impact finishing your web design project on time.
#5 Find a web designer with a visual style you like.
I like to say a good designer is like a good studio musician. She may be able to create websites in a variety of design styles, interpreting the clients brand into a design that works.
Even if you see a variety of design styles in a portfolio, most designers have a core aesthetic that will come across. If you’re looking to have a modern, clean website and the designers portfolio contains multiple projects with rose gold confetti, whimsical floral illustrations or deep moody colors, it may not be a great fit.
#6 Basic SEO is included in the website design offer
SEO, or search engine marketing, is an enormous topic. A good designer should offer basic SEO set-up as part of a web design project. What is ‘basic’ SEO set-up?
Making sure your website has a site title and description
Making sure your location settings are included in your website
Guiding you on using a custom domain
SEO descriptions and page titles for each page
Making sure your page URLs are SEO friendly
If you ask your web designer about any of these things, and she doesn’t seem to understand what theys are, or suggests they’re not important, keep looking!
This won’t take care of all of your SEO needs, but they are basic SEO good hygiene that should be a part of a website.
#7 Does the web designer have a process?
Without a clear process your web design project will be a frustrating mess.
Launching a website doesn’t need to be overly complicated but there are a several moving parts like collecting text and images, integrating third party tools, reviews and domain set up. A clear process about the what happens when will make the experience of getting your website built and launched smooth, and even enjoyable!
A good website designer should have a structured process for keeping your project on track. If she can’t explain how she does this, or have any information on her own website about her process or workflow, keep looking.
#8 Choose a web designer that makes an effort to understand your comfort levels with technology and tries to understand what kind of technical support you will have for your website post launch
When your designer hands over your website, you’ll need to maintain it (or pay someone to do it for you). Hopefully your web designer will work to understand how comfortable you are with technology. This should be done in a respectful way that doesn’t insult your intelligence.
I’ve had extremely intelligent clients who were just totally uncomfortable with anything tech related. We talked about how they could best manage their new websites after launch.
Sometimes it’s a simple case of providing several video tutorials for tasks they’ll need to regularly perform like creating a blog posts. Other times I’ll recommend they find someone who can act as an on call support person.
In some cases, I’ll even refer a client to another designer who offers services for a different platform and/or site maintenance support packages. A good web designer will ask about this and consult you accordingly.
Hiring the right website designer is an important step on the path to launching a successful online presence.
Finding the right mix of skill and working chemistry is key. When you find the right web designer , you’ll experience a visceral sense of relief, a sense that you’re being taken care of.
Working with your designer will be a fun, invigorating process and you’ll feel a renewed sense of excitement about your business after your new site is launched.
Think you and I might be a good fit for your website project? Let’s talk!