If your website is outdated, you should consider hiring a website designer to improve its appearance. Web design is one aspect that can significantly increase your website visitors. If you need a website designer for your business, you have come to the right place. Here at Agile Development, we will share a blog post discussing the mistakes to avoid when choosing a website designer. If you think this information is beneficial, continue reading below to find out more.
As a business owner, you want to avoid choosing the wrong website designer; you should choose someone who will work with your preferred design and style. Here are the mistakes to avoid when selecting a website designer:
Choosing a Web Designer Based Solely on Their Portfolio
Most designers have portfolio sites such as Behance. You shouldn’t choose a web designer based solely on their portfolio because these often showcase creative concepts rather than practical business or website designs. For example, you do not want a website that is too flashy but does not serve your business needs or address user requirements properly.
A web designer must possess various skills, including producing great designs and creating a functional website that caters to your specific business needs. Creating a web design requires collaboration between the designer and the business owner. It requires good communication to ensure every important aspect is discussed and applied accordingly.
Don’t just base your decision on a designer’s portfolio; also consider their client reviews and testimonials. Contact previous clients to confirm if the designer is communicative and receptive to needs and concerns. This is the perfect time to let the designer know about your website requirements. A good web designer has a clear process for creating a website. They will inform you of their design approach and discuss everything so you understand the step-by-step process that can ensure the success of your website.
Not Having Clear Expectations
When hiring a website designer, you must understand that the price of a website project can vary widely, depending on your web design needs. To ensure a successful project, you must have clear expectations about the outcome. Consider the following:
- Website or Mockup: Are you getting a complete website or just a mockup? Not all website designers offer web development services, so you may need to hire a web developer as well.
- Custom Design or Template: Do you want a custom website design or are you okay with using a common website template? Templates are usually cheaper but may not always fit your specific design requirements.
- Additional Needs: Do you need anything beyond website design? Consider other aspects that can affect your website’s success, such as strategy and content. A good website designer will help you plan and choose the right strategy in addition to providing a good design.
- Feedback and Revisions: Are you allowed to provide feedback? Ensure your contract includes provisions for a couple of edits. If the designer has handled similar projects, you can request 2-3 edits to make sure the design meets your expectations.
- Website Features: What features do they offer? Web design agencies may provide extra services and charge additional costs for added features, such as setting up a CMS or integrating third-party apps. Make sure to ask how many pages you are getting and if additional services will incur extra fees.
Not Considering Future Edits and Changes
Websites are not one-and-done jobs. You must consider updating and changing your website regularly. For example, you may need to add new products and services, launch seasonal marketing campaigns, or upload blogs. Regular updates are important for new businesses to keep improving their products and services.
If the website is custom-coded, you will rely on your web designer to perform updates. This means you may have to pay and wait for a specific time for the updates to be applied, which could deter you from keeping your website updated regularly.
For websites using WordPress, you need to update your plugins to prevent issues. This can be a tiring task that takes up your time. You should hire someone to help with website maintenance. If you think this will be an issue for you, consider hiring a website builder that offers both web design and development services.
Ask the web designer if they will perform updates for your website. You can also ask them to train you to perform certain tasks when updating your website.
Not Considering the Budget
When hiring a web designer, you must consider your budget. Here are some aspects to consider:
- Domain Cost – Most domains can be expensive, costing thousands of dollars. Search for and secure a preferred domain name before deciding on your web design budget.
- Platform Cost – Check with the web designer which platform they will use for your website and the associated monthly fee. This is important, especially for e-commerce websites, as transaction fees can differ between platforms.
- Photographer or Stock Images – Your website will need high-quality images. Hiring brand photographers can be costly, while stock photos are cheaper. You can purchase a monthly subscription and cancel it after the project is done. Consider your website’s needs and decide how you want to spend on high-quality images.
- Content – Your website must release reliable content regularly. If you are not confident in producing content, set aside a budget for blog writers or copywriters. If you plan to write the content yourself, choose a web designer who can help you with content production.
- SEO – Publishing a website will not automatically bring in visitors. To increase web traffic, your website needs to be optimized for search engines like Yahoo and Google. You can focus on SEO after finishing the web design, or incorporate SEO during the design phase to prevent unnecessary edits later.
Web design agencies, like Agile Development, usually provide SEO and web development as part of their services.
Not Knowing the Different Types of Designers
The following are different types of designers: graphic designers, UX or UI designers, digital designers, web developers, and web designers.
Each type of designer takes years of practice to become an expert and improve their skills. You must work with specialists if you want to get the best results.
Web designers have the experience, skills, and knowledge to create a good website. However, you shouldn’t rely on them for creating logos, print, or graphic design needs. For these tasks, hire an all-around designer who has experience in multiple areas. Make sure to check their experience, portfolio, and previous clients.
Does your website need redesigning? If it is outdated and needs improvement, you must hire Agile Development for your website design needs. With more than 12 years of experience in the web industry, we can cater to your website’s design needs.
We also offer web development and SEO services. If you want to know more about our company and the services we offer, please contact us. Call us at 385-685-0642 or email us at admin@agiledev.org. Choose Agile Development for your website design needs. What are you waiting for? Contact us today!
