- Experience in web design is probably the most important thing. Find a company that has been around for a while.
- A web design company or ad agency is likely to be better than an individual web designer.
- Although you may think you don't need custom programmer, find out if it is offered.
- Look for a variety of web design services offered by the company. The list of services should be bigger than WordPress web design.
- Find out if you will own the site and if you can host it elsewhere.
- Find out if there is any proprietary software being used.
- Ask if Search Engine Optimization is included.
- Who will be responsible for writing the text that is on the website?
- Are stock photos included?
- What about professional photography?
Experienced Web Designer
Experience in anything is always important and in web design it is critical. The reason for this is because of the way most industries are regulated. For instance, you can't be a lawyer just because you've read a lot of books. To be a lawyer a person has to take specific classes, pass exams and then be licensed by the state. This is true of a lot of professions, plumbers, hair stylists, real estate brokers and many others have to take classes, pass exams and be licensed by the state. Conversely, web designers are not required to take any classes at all. What's more, web designers never have to pass any competency exam. Plus, there is no governmental agency that licenses web designers.What all of this means is that if the web designer takes a deposit from you and does nothing at all, you have no recourse. For instance, there is no agency to report the web designer to. Although you could hire a lawyer, think about how much that will cost. That's why experience is the most important thing to look for in a web designer.
Web Design Company
You'll get better results with an ad agency or web design company than with an individual web designer. When you hire an individual you get just that, an individual. Consequently, that individual tries to be a writer, programmer, designer and SEO expert. As the old saying goes, a jack of all trades is a master of none. For that reason, our company has a team of four people working on every web design project.
- Our programmer will make all of the website functions work properly.
- We only employ designers with a 4-year degree in commercial design.
- Our writer will research your industry and write all of the text.
- Our SEO pro has more than 20-years of experience in getting search engine results.
Custom Web Development
Maybe you are only looking for a simple web design project and custom web development doesn't seem important. However, even a simple WordPress website often needs some custom programming. If you don't have someone capable of customizing WordPress then you may not get exactly what you wanted.
Web Design Services
You'll want to know that the company offers more than WordPress web design. Similar to the comments above about custom programming, you'll want to see experience in other areas of web design. For instance, a company that only offers WordPress web design is usually unable to help with anything but the most basic requests from clients.
Who Owns the Website
When we began our web design company in 1995, we saw a lot of people have trouble with web designers. The problem was that they thought they purchased a website but they never owned the website. Thankfully, that became a thing of the past. However, we are seeing it come back in a new way. Consequently, website owners try to hire some other company to make changes to their website and they can't. What happens is that the company they hired to build the website claims to have used proprietary software. As a result, they refuse to give access to the website to any other web developers.
What happens next should be a crime but it isn't because the proprietary software was mentioned in the contract. When nobody is able to work on your website but the people that made it, there's no competition. You may ask for some simple updates and find that it's $1,500.00. Be 100% sure that you will own the website and you can have anyone you want make changes to the programming code. For instance, if you are able to have the website hosted elsewhere then you'll have access to the code. Conversely, if you are required to have the website hosted with the developer, they may not give you access to the code.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is never included in web design. However, the basic concepts of SEO should be included. For instance, there are things the search engines look for in a website and those things should be included. For example, years ago adding keywords to a meta file was important. However, today the search engines don't look at the keywords. In order to figure out how to rank your website in the search results, the search engines look at other things. We believe those other things are basic elements of web design and should be included.
Be sure to ask if the following is included:
- Proper use of alt tags on photos
- Unique meta titles on each page
- Different meta descriptions for each page
- Properly formatted text that falls with the Flesch reading ease requirements
Professional Copywriting Services
If you are responsible for writing all of the text for your new website, factor that into your daily schedule. Conversely, if you are not a good writer and are not familiar with the Flesch reading ease requirements, that's a problem. For instance, poor results on your Flesch reading ease results means that your website won't rank well in the search results. Consequently, we provide professional copywriting services. Additionally, our writer knows how to properly write the text for your website. Plus, by having professional copywriting services you can work at what YOU do best. Most likely, that would be running your business.
Professional Web Photography
For some websites stock photos are used extensively. Consequently, it is important to know if you are expected to buy them. Additionally, professional photography might be required. For instance, in a dental office, law office or other professional office you don't want iPhone photos. A professional photographer will capture the right look for your entire team. Naturally, professional photography is an added expense. However, you'll want a web design company that has worked with a professional photographer they recommend.
In sum, don't assume anything about hiring a web designer. Instead, ask a lot of questions and get the answers in writing.
