Finding The RIGHT Web Designer For Your Project

With so many web design companies out there how do you know which company (or individual) is right for you?

Here are several factors that you should consider when starting to choose the designer for your web site project, to find that special face in the crowd.


A Designer That Matches Your Style

Every designer has a distinctive style, not only in the look and feel of the sites they build, but also in the way they work, and the type of project they specialize in or take on with regularity.
It is vitally important to take a look at examples of previous projects in any design company portfolio, and ask yourself if you like the style, feel, navigation, and all round usability of the sites they have built in the past. Do they have an eye for color that you find pleasing? Are their sites easy to find your way around, and fast to load on the page? Do their sites show up well in relevant Internet searches?
In addition to design style, an important factor, often regrettably overlooked, is the working style of the company. As a first step, you should be able to gain some idea of the company style from their own web site. What do they say about themselves?
Do not under-estimate the impact that working style can have on the success or failure of any design project. During the development process it is often the case that designer and client must work very closely together, and any clash of personalities can be disastrous, making it very difficult to reach an understanding and produce a finished project that both parties can be proud of.
Once you have found a design company whose past web sites you like, and whose style seems right on first impression, a productive next step in finding out if they are a compatible designer for you is to pick up the phone and give them a call. In a few minutes conversation you will quickly find if you can easily understand each others point of view, ask and answer questions clearly, and easily find your way to the next step in the process. Trust your instincts. If you feel your questions are not being clearly answered, or that the company business style does not match your own, think carefully before taking the next step of meeting, or working with them to create a project proposal.
If, and I truly hope this is the case, you have a good feeling that this could be the team for you, why not set up a meeting or move forward to asking for that all important job proposal. The right team should be more than happy to help get you started on your way!

A Designer That Communicates How You Want To Communicate

Companies and individuals prefer to communicate in very different ways. Some individuals, and a few design companies, will only communicate via e-mail, whereas a few insist on meeting in person over even small details. Others like to have lengthy teleconference to discuss important (or less important) issues.
It is vital that you find a design company happy to communicate in the way you feel most comfortable. If you live on the telephone and are verbal by nature a company that communicates only by e-mail is probably not for you.
The test here is a simple one. If you prefer e-mail and written communication contact the company by e-mail, and note the timeliness and clarity of your reply. If you prefer to operate on the phone, call the company and see if somebody takes your call or quickly returns a message. If you prefer face to face discussion ask to set up a meeting. Successful communication is absolutely key to producing a successful result for both client and designer, and also for saving on rework needed because requirements were miscommunicated the first (or second) time around.

A Designer's Location

If you are the type of individual that prefers to meet with others face to face, it stands to reason that you should start your search for a designer in your own community. A designer in your location will understand your pace of life and business, the professional climate and particular local concerns. A good designer, however, should understand that the Internet is a global entity and a good site should appeal as widely as possible.
It is true that you can find designers based in other countries and on other continents that may bid VERY cheaply for your project, but before jumping toward the potential saving you should consider important factors that can impact such a distant partnership: the language barrier, different cultural practices that have a direct effect on business standards and style (in the Arab world, for example, it is usual to close on a Friday and open on a Sunday), differences in timezones (and therefore in the hours you are both working concurrently). Most importantly, if using a designer based in a different country, you should consider the repercussions if your project encounters difficulties that lead to business disputes. A designer in another country will not necessarily be guided by business practices and laws that apply in your own country, and in a worse case, which we all hope will never happen, you may have little recourse, and your saving on a cheap bid could end up becoming very costly.

A Design Price

How do you know if a designer is reasonably priced for your project?
Firstly you should know before contacting any designer what your project budget is and be prepared to stick to it. You know how much your new web site will be worth to your enterprise and how much your finances and business plan will allow you to spend. However, professional skills and services will, and should, command a professional price.
You should think of the price you pay a competent web designer in the same terms as the way you pay for any other professional service, be it an electrician, auto-mechanic or wedding photographer. A true professional has spent years honing their trade, learning their skills and gaining their experience and should be paid accordingly.
Of course there are always less expensive alternatives. Many of us know a web design hobbyist or computer savvy younger relative, and it may be that they will offer to take on your design project for a fraction of the cost quoted by a professional design company. There are many dangers to that approach, not least of which can be results below expectation and fractured personal relationships.
Again, I recommend strongly that you trust your experience. The adages that you get what you pay for, and that if you pay peanuts you frequently get monkeys are sadly all too often true (which is why we all know them).

All these points have a central theme in common. Shop around, take your time to evaluate the possibilities, trust your instincts and your own experience and understand that finding professionalism, skill and style that will truly work for you takes time consideration and commitment.
Whatever your project, though, there is certainly the right designer for you out there at the right price that can speak YOUR language! Good hunting and here's hoping you have huge success!

Han Hills, CEO, Wilmington Web, Internet Designers and Consultants in Wilmington, North Carolina