Your web designer has great credentials and is easy to work with. Is that a winning combination? Not necessarily! Does she ask the right questions? Does he have a proven track record? Can she blend the proper aesthetics with the necessary mechanicals to create a winner? Remember, a Porsche without an engine is just a very expensive piece of sheet metal. That principle also applies to your website.
So how do you choose which one to hire for your small business's website? Here are some guidelines:
1. First, be very clear about what you need. Approaching a web developer with the attitude of, "I don't know what I need, so you'll have to tell me" can turn into a costly exercise in frustration for all involved. Do your homework! Find other sites that do what you do, and get some ideas about what you like and what you don't. Make a list of "needs" and "would be nice." Know your target audience - whom do you want to serve or attract?
2. Decide on your budget - what can you afford? The main cost components for a website are: your domain name, design and development of the site (including copywriting), site hosting, and website maintenance and marketing. Domain names should cost in the neighborhood of $10. each, annually. Hosting for the average website on a shared server will cost $20 - $40/month. For eCommerce or dedicated servers, this cost will increase to $100 and up per month. Design costs vary depending on your needs and wants, from less than $1000, to $5000 and up. Maintenance and marketing costs are probably the most variable. You could opt for self-maintenance, or spend thousands per month for a marketing firm - or anything in between.
With this information in hand, put together a list of potential candidates. Ask other business owners, look at your local Chamber of Commerce directories, and perform an online Search. Go to each designer's website to see:
1. The overall look. Is it easy to navigate and find what you are looking for? Remember this is the designer's marketing tool. While you might not like the choice of color or images, if he's done a sloppy job with his own site, he may not know how to design a user-oriented site for you.
2. The portfolio. Do all the designs look the same, or is she able to give different looks to different clients? Do you like the style? Does it look like they've done any work recently? Can you click through, or in some way visit, these sites, or do any of them give you an error, or not look the same as the thumbnail (indicating that some other firm has given them a re-design)?
3. The testimonials. Are any of them saying things beyond "Great job!"? Talk with a couple clients and ask about their experience with the designer, including: Were deadlines met? Was the budget agreement honored? How were change requests handled that were outside the scope of the original project? Did the designer introduce creative ideas that the clients hadn't thought of, to add value to their web presence?
You've probably cut down your list of prospect designers to three or four. Now interview them to find:
1. Who will own the site, content and domain name? (Clue: it should be you!)
2. Can they meet your deadline?
3. Can you understand what they are saying - plain English, no unexplained tech talk?
4. Do they take the time to try to understand your business, and your target audience - and can they tell you why that's important?
Ask for a proposal from the ones who gave the right answers during the interview. Remember when comparing the proposals, don't just look at the price! Does it include your domain name? Hosting? Search engine optimization? Copywriting? Maintenance going forward? Just don't make price a litmus test, in either direction. And be sure you understand who is responsible for what, when.
Once you have decided on your web designer, do read the contract before signing. Consider having your attorney look at it to ensure it protects you as well as the designer. Your job isn't over once you sign the contract - but you'll be on your way to creating an important piece of your company's marketing strategy with a trusted professional. Good luck!
back to top
