Before you hire a web designer
Picking the perfect logo
Planning your web site
Search engine optimization
Marketing on the web
The first step is to decide exactly what you want to accomplish. You should have a list of goals for the site from your perspective, as well as that of the end user. If you are a new business selling widgets, this may include not only an online shopping cart, but product information, a customer service portal, the ability to track sales and customer information, marketing support and the ability to update the site yourself. Clear, precise goals will not only help you choose who designs your site, but ensures that you receive an accurate quote incorporating all the aspects your site will need.
What technology is best suited for your web site? A hip, up and coming musician may require an artistic flash web site with streaming media, sophisticated animation and esoteric navigation. On the other hand, if you are a government agency, you are required by law under Section 508, to ensure that your web site is equally accessible to persons with disabilities. A competant designer will not only have the expertise to design a site that is visually appealing, but to use the tools appropriate for your site and your audience. Many companies have experienced the phenomena of “alternate” sites. The designer has to create multiple shadow web sites that function in different browsers at different resolutions, and use a script to “serve” the proper page to the proper browser. This not only takes significantly more time and money, but can be a nightmare when it comes time to changing the content on these web sites. The best web developers have the ability to develop a single web site that will look appropriate in the browsers and resolutions that your target audience uses. Although not appropriate for all situations, the designer comfortable with using XHTML and Cascading Style sheets can design a web site that saves you time, money and headaches.
Do you hire a large web development company? A small firm? A freelancer? Although going with a large firm may be the best decision for a corporate conglomerate, one size does not fit all. A large firm will have scores of designers and programmers, but this may mean different parts of the site are handed off to different people, including the new intern. You will probably interact with an account executive who is not acutally in charge of the project and cannot address technical issues. Another consideration is that the larger firms come with an equally large price tag. Smaller companies and professional free lance agents normally take on the majority of project and design related tasks, but also partner with specialists in programming or marketing. This close collaboration often results in providing you with the technological aspects your site requires, while providing a more cohesive project, better service, a single contact person and a much more budget friendly price tag.
The final considerations in your search should be pricing, contracts and timetable. You should receive a proposal that includes all billable costs, including specialized outside services, domain name, hosting, and maintenance costs. An estimated timetable for the completion of the project is essential, and should include testing and usability studies. A contract is an absolute must, and should outline all costs, services, responsibilities, copyright and payment policies and any guarantees. This is your project, so don't be afraid to ask as many questions as necessary. The research you do up front will pay off in the long run.
