Creating your own website or web presence can be an incredibly empowering experience, but it can also be incredibly daunting. How do you know if you’re overpaying or being scammed? How do you know if your site will even look good once it’s created? You can save yourself a lot of time and money by making sure that you ask the right questions before hiring any type of designer, whether it’s for your logo design, web design, app design, or anything else related to the digital realm.
Here are five questions you should always ask before hiring any type of web designer/web design company.
1) What do you specialize in?
If you’re looking for an all-around developer to work on your next big project, it might be time to start looking elsewhere. Asking what someone specializes in can help narrow down your search and make sure you’re both on the same page in terms of your web design goals.
For example, if you’re specifically looking to hire IT professionals who do responsive design, a firm that handles full website development probably won’t be able to take on your project. Designers that specialize in logos or identity design might also not be able to do everything you need when it comes to building out a new e-commerce site—in which case it might be worth meeting with multiple firms until you find one that has exactly what you want.
2) Do you have any testimonials?
Chances are, if your designer is any good, they’ll have previous customers to vouch for them. Use these as an opportunity to see how other people were treated during their projects and how satisfied they are with the final results. If you can’t find any testimonials or reviews about your prospective designer, there’s a chance their work is subpar—or that they could be hiding something (like poor ratings from unhappy clients). Either way, you might want to look elsewhere.
3) How long will it take?
Given that websites are built in stages, and every website has different levels of complexity, there’s no easy answer to how long it will take to build yours. However, you should be able to get a rough estimate from your web designer of how many hours/days it will take to create each step along your journey. Be sure to note whether any fees are involved for revisions or for launching and hosting your site.
Also keep in mind that any fees noted might increase based on additional requested services (additional pages, additional content management systems, etc.). Knowing exactly what you want is essential when working with a web designer because their success depends on fulfilling your needs—not making money off of you.
4) What will be the payment terms?
Money is an important factor in hiring any kind of professional. Even if you’ve found someone who does great work, if they aren’t upfront about their payment terms, it’s probably best to find someone else. Whether or not you’re able to pay your web designer up front will depend on your project and budget. If you have no funding and don’t have room in your budget, ask if they offer payment plans or can do some form of bartering (that’s becoming more common).
They may also offer discounts for paying up front—which is much better than taking on debt with a credit card or loan. Make sure you understand all the terms before signing anything!
5) Do they provide updates throughout the process?
Don’t leave it up to chance—make sure you and your designer are on the same page at every step of the process. Even something as simple as keeping you in touch with what they’re working on each day can go a long way toward keeping your project on track. Your website is important; don’t leave it up to chance that something could go wrong. Make sure you have consistent updates throughout every step of development so there aren’t any surprises down the road, and so that you don’t have to be worried about putting out fires later down the line.
Conclusion
No matter how clear your vision is for your website, it’s important to do some research before hiring a web designer. If you’re considering working with someone new, consider asking them these questions and expect answers (we know they can be difficult). It will help you determine if they are truly able to deliver what you’re looking for. While there is no sure-fire way to ensure success with your project, planning out as much as possible in advance helps set you up for better results.
Also read: What is Payroll Compliance and How to Ensure it for Your Business?
