The website for any organization is thus as important a gateway to
growth and development as the other components of the business.
Present scenario and customer preferences call for increased
e-commerce, easy access to information on products, quick navigation
and unique branding and marketing techniques that would ensure that a
business stays on top of the audiences’ mind in spite of stiff
competition. Choosing a web designer therefore becomes a challenging
yet extremely important task. If you are looking to hire a web
designer to strengthen your online presence, here are few pointers on
how to bet on the winning horse.
Decide on your needs
Does your business need a complete online persona creation or are
you looking for someone who can accomplish a specific task alone?
Even though many web
designing firms have branched out in recent times, they still
undertake specific tasks as requested. If you are looking for a A-Z
online services organization that would help you with everything from
web designing, online marketing and branding, web and mobile
application creation, e-commerce management, web hosting etc. you
might want to look at sites like Boost
One Web that provide overall services to customers. If your needs
call for specific services like web design alone, then target those
organizations that offer design services as a specialty. It is always
sensible to choose companies that offer multiple services to avoid
scouring for help in future.
Queries and responses
While picking any web design firm, it is crucial for you to listen
to the questions they pose as that will give an insight on not only
their competence but also their interest in knowing about your
organization. It is important for any web design firm to have a deep
knowledge of the business they are designing a website for. If the
right questions are not asked at the right time, chances are that
they are not competent enough to detail the website to suit your
needs.
The next part involves you asking the right questions. Do your
homework and look into their previously designed websites. Question
them on the technologies they use and how compatible they are with up
and coming techniques. Do they have experience with Wordpress,
Drupal ,etc.? Have
they worked on similar businesses like yours before? Are they
equipped to provide you a responsive, all-device-compatible website?
Are they competent enough to understand and provide you with
necessary graphics? Do their design ideas mirror your business ideals
while ensuring unfussy navigation to customers? Are they equipped to
provide you with SEO or lead generating web content? Do they provide
maintenance services post launch? Do they give access to the source
code for your future editing purposes? How about registration and
copyright? These are some of the questions that you should be asking
yourself and the design firm before picking out one.
Price Tag and Testimonials
Though price should not be ‘THE FACTOR’ in deciding on a web
designer, enough research should be done to ensure that you are
paying the right price for the right services. Too much for too
little work is bad enough but too little for too much work might also
mean a lot when it comes to competence levels. Testimonials and
referrals are sure to help here. You can either request the design
firm for references or do a background check yourself and ensure that
you are making the right choice for your business. From sticking to
delivery commitments to pre and post-delivery customer service,
ensure you get the data you need to make an informed decision.
Contracts and the written word
Regardless of how the testimonies turn up, it is always better to
get every decision made on website design, services to be rendered,
delivery dates, quotes etc. on paper. Written contracts should
reflect all decisions made to safeguard your interests in future.
Spending quality time in identifying the right web design firm will
certainly ensure that you do not waste your resources on the wrong
business partner. Happy hunting!