Tips on Choosing A Good Website Designer
There are so many website designers and website developers in the world now. Some good, some bad, some experienced and honest - some unfortunately not. But how do you know which website designer is right for your business? How do you know they’re designing and building it error-free? Or have your best interests at heart?
Employing Website Designers
Make sure that you know what you are getting when employing a website designer and/or website developer. Ideally you should employ an established website design company rather than one person working from a bedroom or garden shed. Be careful as some website designers just produce the web page designs and either hand it over to you so you can find a website developer or they hand it over to a website developer they know. Tip: be careful if your website developers are based in another country and time zone as this will create project headaches for you. And there may also be a language barrier which is when mistakes can be made that will cost you time and money and a long, painful, drawn-out project launch).
Some website developers rely on you providing the actual website 'design' because they only 'develop/build' the websites from a pre-designed format. Some reputable companies (like aprompt) are website designers AND website developers in the UK so you only need to liaise with one company. This is much easier for you and more cost effective too.
So, let’s assume you’ve made the decision to get your website started. Perhaps you want to move website designers, upgrade your website, change website to be responsive, have a bit of website remodelling or freshen up of the design? This is a great start.
What Should My Website Do?
You now need to think about what you want your website to do. Will it be a brochure website? Should it be a brochure website with a way for customers to pay their bills online? Should it have a Blog and if so do you know what a Blog means? You probably have lots of questions or perhaps you're not sure what questions to ask a website designer? Fear not, I would suggest you phone or email a web design company that you like the look of and ask their advice and wait for them to suggest what would be best for your business goals and budget. See more on How Much Does A Website Cost
If the website design company knows their onions they will ask you pertinent questions to gain an overview of what your business needs. Some of the questions will be about your business sector, your business processes and the end result you want from your customers, i.e. what are the goals you want to achieve with your website? They may also ask you who your target market is. See more on How to Work Out Your Target Market
They should be open to having a chat with you, and they will probably invite you to have a no-obligation meeting so you can discuss ideas and get advice. You should also let them know about your budget if possible. This is so they know if what you’re asking for will be possible within your budget.
Always ask lots of questions - if they know what they're doing and are honest, they will explain things clearly and without unnecessary jargon. If you have asked a question about their website designing services or their hosting services but don't understand their answer, ask them to explain again. If they still try to bamboozle you with complicated marketing-speak or jargon-filled sentences that don't make sense, then it's best to walk away and find someone who doesn't try to patronise you.
8 Questions to Ask Website Designers
- How long have they been designing and/or building websites? Experience is key!
- Can you read some of the client testimonials/speak to some of their clients?
- Can you view websites they've developed - across a range of business sectors?
- Can you visit their recent CMS websites / CMS websites with a Blog / CMS websites with a Blog and Gallery / eCommerce websites or booking systems so you can see the range of their capabilities?
- Do they code the websites themselves or do they rely on template software that is created by unknown developers (i.e. does the website use Open Source software or is it bespoke)? Bespoke is better.
- Do they outsource any website design or website development services? Or do they have an in-house website design studio? And have in-house website development too?
- Will there be free support after the site is built and handed over? Or is there a hefty 'support charge'?
- Is Search Engine Optimisation included or is it extra and what do their SEO services involve?
These 8 questions to ask website designers will get you started. And hopefully the website design company you speak to will offer more helpful information without being asked.
For more advice on choosing a good website designer contact our website designers in Wiltshire and we'll be happy to help.
Written by Kirsty Paget
