There are many thousands of web designers working today, so if you need to hire one for your business, it wouldn’t be too surprised if you become overwhelmed with the choice. Who is the best one for you? Does it really matter? What should you be looking for? The answers are that there will be one designer that is definitely best for you, it’s just a matter of finding them. Yes, it does matter. As for what you should be looking for, this list is going to help you make a good start – the rest is up to you.

What Is The Web Designer’s Style?

Every web designer is going to be comfortable working in their own particular style; it’s what they are going to be best at. If you like the way they work but you want them to give you something different to what they normally produce, you may find that you are disappointed – it will take longer and be more difficult for the designer to create the website because they aren’t used to the style you’ve asked for, plus the end result might not be as good as some of their other work.

Therefore, it’s important to choose a design whose style already matches what you have in mind. That way, you and the web designer can concentrate on creating the actual design of the website rather than dealing with the intricacies of how it will be done.

Most web designers will have a website with a portfolio on it. You may need to be wary if you can’t find any examples of their work which is a great place to start when you’re looking for a style that will suit what you have in mind. As well as the designer’s own website, there are different work platforms that designers can sign up for allowing them to be found more easily.

The great thing about web design is that the designer does not have to live or work locally to you; it can all be done remotely.

Will They Also Develop The Website?

A web designer is not necessarily the same as a web developer, although sometimes the two are combined, so check whether you will also need to hire someone to implement the website once it has all been designed for you. It could be that, even if your designer doesn’t do the development aspect themselves, they partner with a developer that they know and trust. This can be extremely helpful because it will save you the task of searching for a reliable web developer. If you do need to hunt for one yourself, check out those same online platforms. In many cases, they will have to pass an online java programming test to ensure that they have the skills necessary and finding a developer through a site such as this means you can sure that they know what they are doing.

Ask about how much the designer actually does, as this will also help you make a decision. Do they provide mockups that need to be coded into a site, for example? You will need to budget accordingly if a developer needs to take on the second part of the job and this can have an impact on the money you put aside for the designer.

Is There A Maintenance Package?

Once your website is designed, developed, and up and running, that’s not the end of it. Creating a website is not a one-time cost, and there will be ongoing maintenance to think about. These ongoing expenses can differ hugely from designer to designer, depending on the kind of work you want them to do and the number of updates you are happy to receive.

Websites need to be kept up to date so that they continue to work seamlessly. This is especially true if they rely on third-party plug-ins or other software – if this is not kept up to date, then the website could stop working, or look strange with images in the wrong places and odd text appearing. Videos might no longer work. Contact forms may fail to send. These are all potentially huge problems that can lose you sales and customers – no one is going to want to go to the effort of wading through a website that just doesn’t look right.

Websites also need to be kept updated so that customers can see that you are a responsible company that takes pride in what it does. An unkempt website is similar to a poorly looked after garden – even if the company (or the house) beyond it are immaculate, that first glimpse will often be enough to turn people away. See if your designer offers maintenance services and if not, ask if they can refer you to someone who can offer a package of ongoing updates.

Alternatively, you may wish to learn how to update a site yourself. This might take a little time (this kind of work isn’t simple, after all) but it will save you money in ongoing fees.

What Files Will You Receive?

There are many different types of files that you could receive when you have a web designer create a site for you. If they are sending over mockups for a developer to code, you will need them in Photoshop (PSD) and Illustrator (AI) format at the very least. It’s far better to get as many different formats as possible as this means that no matter which designer you choose, they will be able to work with and edit the files that are sent across.

What About Revisions?

Finally, will your designer be available to make any revisions and changes that are needed? Is that task included in your initial cost, or will there be additional fees payable? Knowing this information and having a contract that sets out exactly what is required of each party so that there is no doubt, means that you can relax and be sure that the website you are going to finish with is the one you really want.