Thank you for joining me for part 3 in our series “Top 5 Tips About Web Design for Small Businesses.” In the last two weeks we have answered the questions “What website platform should I choose?” and “What does a website cost?” Today’s topic is one that has been touched on a little in the previous two weeks posts. After reading those posts I assume you see the value of hiring a professional web designer and are willing to spend what it takes to get your website done right, so let’s jump into our next web design tip.
Tip #3: Choose the right web designer
Now you have the daunting task of choosing the right web designer from a vast sea of candidates. Let’s look at how you can narrow down the field and find the one that is right for you.
Web Design Customer Service
Customer service is one of the topics we hear most about when it comes to web designers. Let’s face it, most people designing websites are techie web guys. While that is great for your website, it sometimes leaves something to be desired when it comes to personal interaction. A good web designer should be part of your team for many years to come, so you want to pick someone that you are able to communicate well with. You need to feel comfortable asking them questions, and they need to communicate in a way you understand. You want someone that you feel good about calling when a website need or issue arises. You also want someone who is responsive and returns phone calls. If it takes them a week to return your phone call before you are a customer that is a good indication of the kind of service you can expect to receive after you’ve hired them.
Experienced Web Designers
In web design experience matters. While everyone needs to get their start somewhere, your small business website should not be their practice project. At my doctor’s office I was seen by a nurse practitioner who was a bit clueless and gave me unsound advice. I later talked to my doctor about it and found out she was right out of school. She had book knowledge, but no real world experience and it showed. There is an expertise and finesse that comes with hands-on experience. A professional web design expert with multiple years of experience will always provide a better product than someone fresh out of school.
Honest Pricing
We touched on this subject before, but it is a biggie. If the web designer you are talking to is charging by the hour with an open ended bid, be cautious. Unless you are comfortable with paying whatever unknown amount the final bill will end up being hire a web design professional that is transparent and tells you the full price upfront. Also, when it comes to a web designer, never pick someone just because they are the cheapest. Your website is typically the first impression most potential clients will have of your business, and it needs to exude excellence. You wouldn’t pick your doctor based on price, so don’t pick your web design expert that way either. A quality website should help produce so many sales that you will recoup your investment very quickly.
Professional web design portfolio
Another big distinction between web designers is the quality of their work. A good web designer will have a large portfolio of recent web design work for you to see. Spend time looking through their portfolio. While they might not have a project exactly like yours featured, spending time browsing their work should give you a feel for the quality of website they produce. You should also feel comfortable asking for references because a good designer should have many happy clients they would be happy to direct you to.
The Oasis Interactive Web Design Team
Of course we at Oasis Interactive strive to meet all of the above qualifications and would love the opportunity to be your Boise web design company. We hope that when you get to know us you will see how much we value our customers and that we endeavor to have integrity in all that we do. As a company we place a high value on customer service. The Better Business Bureau acknowledged our customer dedication when they awarded us with the BBB Integrity Counts award in 2010. Our pricing is upfront and transparent and we have over 20 years of experience. We would love for you to check out our web design portfolio to see the quality work we provide our clients. If you feel Oasis Interactive might be the right fit for your business we would love to talk more. Give us a call today at 208-939-0493 for a free consultation.
Next week we discuss Tip #4: Creating Professional Website Content.