Your website is your doorway to the rest of the world. It’s your core way of showing your dream audience why you are professional, bursting with skill and totally unique.
That’s a lot of pressure, right?
Luckily, that’s what a web designer is for. They will come in and take your vision, turning it into something strategic, functional and REAL.
But… How can you be sure your web designer is the right person for the job?
There are some really simple steps you can take to guarantee you find the best person for your specific project. These steps will both point you towards your best fit designer and give you a clear vision for what you want and need out of your website.
We’ve rounded up our 9 top tips to help you on your way.
That means don’t just rely on Google to make your decision!
The best way to tick off someone’s reputability is by asking fellow business owners for recommendations. You’ll want to find out more about a designer’s style of work, their pricing structure, their working method, timescales and communication.
Better yet, if you find a website that you adore the look of, find out who designed it. If you’re open to using a designer that isn’t local to you, this will also open up a wider pool of possibilities.
What is the goal of your website, other than representing your business? Do you want to use it to sell products? To book appointments? To feature galleries? Videos?
It’s important to know what functional aspects you need out of your website rather than going in with an entirely blank page. For example, some web designers won’t be equipped to install shop carts to your site. Others will specialise in featuring podcasts and videos heavily on sites.
This will give you a clearer direction when approaching designers, as well as contributing to your overall budget.
Leading on from this is noting down the pages you need and want; and yes, there is a difference!
As many web designers will price per page, it is worthwhile making a clear structure of pages that are 100% necessary for your website, and then the additional pages that would be a good bonus.
This also stops you slotting in pages just for the sake of it. As with all marketing, every single page should have a clear mission and purpose. What do you want to achieve with that page? Who will you be speaking to?
Keep it simple and cohesive, with a clear path for your readers to follow.
Yep, the “B” word.
Websites come in all shapes and sizes, and budget will impact that.
Going into this process, you’ll need at least a rough idea of your budget. Because while you may love the look of a specific designer, if you can’t reach their prices there’s little point in approaching them.
Reputable web designers will show you the different options you can get for different prices so that you have a range to choose from. Here at Littlebigbox, for example, we offer a range of website options depending on your budget. This keeps things flexible and affordable.
Who doesn’t love a vision board?
If you still aren’t sure about the direction you want to take your website, a vision board (either physical or on a platform like Pinterest) can be a useful way to create a consistent look and feel that can be translated into your website.
Think about the things you do and don’t like. Colours, images, fonts. Everything and anything that could help form the direction of your website.
Saying that, if you have already established your business, it’s likely you will have a brand in place that takes care of all of this.
If so, be sure to share your brand guidelines with any potential web designers. Is it similar to their previous work? Do you feel it is something they could confidently run with?
In an ideal world, your website will perfectly mirror your brand. It’s important to keep this at the forefront of your mind when kicking things off.
Perhaps you aren’t bothered which platform your website sits on; but your web designer will be.
Whether you want entirely bespoke coding or to use a platform such as WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify or Weebly, you will need to target a web designer that specialises in that area.
Each platform has its own pros and cons (we are personally big fans of WordPress!), and you’ll want to spend some time exploring these. Just because one platform is right for your friend’s business, it doesn’t mean it’s the best one for you!
There are some handy guides online to help you with this, including this one from WP Beginner.
Web design is only one slice of the pie.
Do you have quality images that can be used? Is your content written? Are your social media channels live and ready to connect?
Some web designers will offer the full package or may have “go to” service providers they can connect you with. Others will expect you to provide everything and then they’ll focus entirely on the design.
Figure out which creative process works best for you so that you can go in with the right expectations.
It’s easy to make assumptions about the ongoing management of your website once it’s complete. But, too often, these assumptions aren’t met, leaving you in a sticky situation where you have little (or too much!) control over your website.
When you approach web designers, be sure to ask:
Essentially, the more information you can gather, the better. Committing to a website is a big decision; it’s vital that you feel comfortable and in control of the entire situation.
Now you’ve got a better idea of the main things to consider before hiring a web designer, here comes the next step: choosing someone! If you’re interested in Littlebigbox for this service, get in touch and a member of our team will be in touch to arrange a no strings attached consultation.
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