The Designer’s Work Must Match Your Vision
This is important to consider while skimming through the web designer’s portfolio. Every business has different strategies, target audiences and overall vision. You should make sure that the web designer want to hire reflects your business style. The website should be well-crafted, designs should be modern and current, and everything should be professionally optimized. Without proper optimization, you will likely miss out on users and viewers.
Contact Prior Clients For References
Prior clients’ references can play a decisive role. It is always a sensible idea to talk with previous clients to get a better understanding of the company and appraise their work. How did the final product turn out? How successful did the website become? Are there any pitfalls you should be aware of? What you can expect from this web design agency?
Project Team Information
Some web design houses may assign individuals or a team to your project, depending on the scope of work. Some of the project work could be assigned off-shore or done in-house. It is crucial to know the experience and qualifications of the person or team working on your project. You may ask for work samples, talk over their expertise in web design tools and request client references.
SEO Optimization
SEO has dramatically changed the way websites over the last several years. What was once highly technical is now much more about developing content that your audience is searching for online. Your web designer should give you clear suggestions as to how they will incorporate SEO into your website. Search engine optimization is one of the key factors of quality design. Be sure about which approach to SEO will be taken, and how will they balance the right content and technical optimizations.
Developing A Website In A Content Management System (CMS)
According to Webopedia, a Content Management System, also called a Web Management System, is a piece of software or group of applications and tools that enable an organization to seamlessly create, edit, review and publish electronic text. Nowadays, almost all websites that are up-to-date are using a CMS.
There are many choices of CMS. Be sure that whatever platform your web designer chooses, it aligns with your needs and requirements. You will also want to find out if it is web-based, user friendly, and whether you will have access to all its functions. Ask whether there is any training available if you are using it for the first time. In the end, your company will be using this feature the most, so it should be easy to use for your team.
Website Ownership
Copyright law states: the creator of the design & content on a website ipso facto becomes the legal owner of the design or content the very moment when it’s designed or written. This means that by fact you do not own the website. So it is important to discuss a “work-for-hire” agreement with your web designer to let you claim the ownership of your own digital property. Some of the main things you could actually own could be the visual design, HTML/CSS/Javascript, custom source code, and the content of the website.
Project Completion Period
Typically, the timeline of a web design project depends greatly on the scope of the work, schedule, and how promptly both you and the web designer meet the deadlines. Based on your project requirements, the web designer should be able to estimate how long a project might take and provide a basic timeline and milestones. The designer should also mention how they will manage if they’re unable to meet deadlines.
Working Under Budget
This is a main factor to consider – you must not forget to ask the web designer whether they can work within your budget. Think of it like sharing your budget with a car dealer or real estate agency. If they do not know your budget, they will not be able to show you what kind of car or home will best suit you. While deciding this, keep in mind the cost vs. benefits. This analysis is the decisive factor when you determine your budget. Sometimes it is worth it to pay more initially if you know you’ll receive a higher return for the work done.
What’s Included In The Quoted Price
Just like any other field, there are people who will overcharge and others who will try to keep the cost to a minimum due to competition. The challenge for the company is to find the balance in pricing. The structure of the price of web design varies among companies – some use flat project prices, others use hourly rates. The price is determined by experience, knowledge, expertise and the scope of the project. It’s essential to understand what is included in the price quote and what’s not, including whether there are any additional or hidden costs. This all should be communicated before getting into the project.
While the design responsibilities fall entirely on the shoulders of your web design firm, you have some responsibilities as well. The best websites are created not only by the efforts of web designers, but also with the client company’s involvement at every stage.
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