Remember how the web looked like just five years ago ? Almost no dynamic content (with the exception of Flash content that took a great while to load, and everyone was avoiding it), almost no taste in the way websites were designed and almost no stability at all.
Nowadays, things are a lot different ? we are in the web 2.0 era, and rapidly approaching web 3.0. Since web designing is quite a profitable business, it was inevitable for so-called designers to appear everywhere. Thanks to already-built designs and how-to guides, almost anybody that knows what web design is, can make a website . The problem appears when we discuss quality.
You are probably looking for a web designer because you want a professional website built for you or your business, therefore you cannot start mixing with beginner designers. If you own a business and want to promote it through the help of a website you have to be very careful with the website - it has to be useful, fast and appealing. Customers do not give second chances - if your website takes a million years to load, they will find another place to search for the product.
The same thing goes with usability - if they find it hard to find the things they are looking for, they will leave sooner than you think. Therefore, a professional web designer that understands your needs is almost imperative. Do not search for the cheapest one on the market, because it will surely not make it worth your while. Now, there are some things you should look for when searching for the perfect web designer for your business, and I detail them carefully below:
? Open-minded ? It is very important that your web designer is open-minded. Obviously, you hired a web designer because you cannot do the job yourself, but that does not mean your opinions do not count. See if he listens to all your ideas and at this point, he should try to incorporate only the best of them. Allow him to explain why one idea or another does not fit the whole plan, and allow him to come with his own ideas too. Rather than making it a one-mind plan, why not put two minds at work.
* Good and fast - No matter how long the prohject is, you should always make sure progress is being made towards the end of the project. Ask him to complete the project in stages and tell you how long each stage will take. Make sure to review each stage as you go, to make sure he is completing everything to your satisfaction.
* Is he focused on usability? As discussed earlier, you need a website for your business that your customers can use easily - rather than something that is glittery and flashy at the expense of usability. Ensure your designer understands this - if he insists on using too many "bells and whistles" then walk away.
Finding the perfect web designer is a difficult task but should not be totally impossible, if you follow what we have discussed . Review his portfolio to see if his past works are usable and well designed, ask questions and you shouldn't go too far wrong. If anything arises that makes you think he might not be suited to your business, then walk away and find another one.
About the Author:
Robin Porter is CEO of Arpey Internet : an established uk web design company that specialises in creating sites for small to medium sized businesses, and in particular focuses on web design london
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