Web Design On A Dime

So, you decided to have a professional design your website. Well where do you begin The first step is remembering that your website will be the image that people have of you, so it's important that your designer can help you convey that. The first thing you have to realize about web designers, is that web designers come a dime a dozen. How do you know if the one you select will do justice with your site Asking some of these questions may help you weed through a lot of the quacks and on-the-siders:

1) The # 1 question, as stupid as it may seem, should be: "Do you have a website" You may be very surprised that a vast amount of "Web Designers" do not have their own website. This is because it is just something the do ON THE SIDE, or the company they were working at gave them some extra responsibilities, one of which was to design the company's website, etc. IF THE ANSWER IS "NO", simply say: "Thank you for your time, have a nice day!"

2) Do they have a portfolio First of all you cannot be a web designer without having designed a website, so their must be some type of portfolio, and at least some with their name on it. IF THE ANSWER IS "NO", simply say: "Thank you for your time, have a nice day!"

3) How is their response time This is vital to the success of your site. Make note of their choice of response (email, phone, fax, instant messenger, chat) and how quickly they can respond to your inquiries. If you prefer to do business over the phone and the designer doesn't, then it's probably best to move on to your next choice.

4) Do they have a contract Everything should always be put down in writing, but before you sign anything, make sure you read the entire contract, including all the fine print. If you have any questions on anything, ASK! Don't sign a contract unless you understand everything in it. DO NOT SIGN A CONTRACT THAT REQUIRES YOU TO PAY IN FULL UPFRONT!

5) Do they use templates or originals As a "DESIGNER" one should be able to create an original design from scratch. Templates are OK, but that should be your choice.

6) How reasonable are their prices Make sure you get what you pay for and if you are on a budget, that the designer you choose won't exceed it. ASK!!! So that you will know upfront and in writing, in the event that you need additional work done

7) SEO: Search Engine Optimization. Will you optimize my site as part of the service, or do I need to get that elsewhere Any half-way decent web designer should know about search engine optimization and what they need to do to implement it on the website that they're creating. This should be a part of the service at no additional charge.

8) How big is their company Are they a two-man operation with 50 current clients, or do they have ten employees who work on a handful of sites Though the size of a company and client list could be an important factor when it comes to hiring the right designer, this is certainly not always the case. Quality of work speaks for itself. Customer service and support go a long way. Choose a company that gives you that personal interaction, not one that makes you feel that you're a number in line at the tax office.

9) Can they do everything you want If you want a Flash intro or a database-driven site, then you need to make sure the designer you choose can provide it. ASK for samples!!!

10) Can they meet reasonable deadlines If you need your site done by a certain date, can the designer you choose get it done by then

11) Is the designer willing to help and suggest their own ideas, or do they just plod along blindly hoping they got everything you want It's always best to find a designer that has some ideas of their own, but that knows their limits and won't insist something be done a certain way if that's not what you want. You may say that some of these things are trivial and simple, but remember it's the small things that make the difference!

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