Every business owner knows how important it is to have a powerful online presence and that it all starts with a great business website. But building a successful business website doesn’t happen overnight. The process implies far more than thinking about how you want your site to look. The first step is to find a web designer that understands your business needs and requirements, and knows how to put your ideas into practice. There’s surely no shortage of web designers in the market, as it’s a very popular profession these days, which makes it even harder for you to find a web designer with the right set of skills and qualities to build your business website.
So what can you do if you don’t want to spend ages looking for a web designer, but you don’t want to settle for average either? A good approach would be to make a list with the qualities a web designer should have to fit the bill. That can be a time-consuming task in itself, so we’ve saved you the trouble and made the list for you. Check it out if you want to find the right web designer for you.
Suitable experience
Experience is one of the most relevant aspects when searching for a good web designer, but since there are so many web designers with extensive experience in the field out there, how can you narrow down your options? By selecting the ones who have experience in your industry. If they’ve worked at least with one similar client in the past, they already have an idea of the requirements and the needs of a business like yours. Of course, no two businesses are alike, but at least they’ll know what they should focus on and the aspects that are most important in your domain. This will save you a lot of time in the initial stages of the design process when the designer has to get acquainted with the specifics of a business.
The right skills and knowledge
Let’s just say that web design is a vast and complex field, covering many aspects of web development, so there are a lot of skills and knowledge one has to master in order to become an expert in web design. Since web design is such a booming industry nowadays, you’re bound to come across so-called professionals who aren’t half as skilled as they pretend or believe to be. You’ll obviously want to void them and the most efficient way to do it is by asking potential candidates about their skills, the methods they apply and their whole process when designing a website. If they have difficulties in answering your questions or if they only offer vague answers, they’re not what you are looking for. A good web designer should have no problem explaining their work process step by step and offering you clarifications on every aspect that might interest you.
Wide range of services
In addition to creating websites, many web design companies also provide other services that can help businesses boost their online presence. A design agency might also have professionals in their team who can write content, create social media strategies and campaigns, run SEO operations, deal with maintenance issues etc. All these additional services might be exactly what you need to differentiate your business from others. When working with a freelance web designer, you usually don’t get the whole package, since one single person can’t specialize in so many areas of activity, so keep that in mind when you conduct your research.
A great portfolio
What’s the best way to find out if the work of a web designer will meet your standards and satisfy your needs? It’s simple: you look at his past projects and if they come close to what you envision, he’s a suitable candidate to consider. Web designers with killer portfolios have a clear advantage over those who might be talented but they have no way to prove their potential. If you’re fine working with someone who can’t show you their previous projects, you’re free to take your chances, but if you want to go the safe route, choosing a web designer with a strong portfolio is always recommended.
Fair pricing
It’s all well and good if you can find a web designer who fits the above description, but if he asks for the sun and the moon for his services, you might want to continue your search. Different designers will charge you differently, depending on a series of factors. What you should do is set a budget for building your website and then try to find a web designer that’s within your price range. You can find good web designers that won’t charge you a small fortune for their services; you just have to know exactly what you’re looking for and how much you’re willing to pay.
Strong communication skills
A good web designer understands that not everyone is tech oriented and web design jargon can be difficult to understand for those who are not familiar with the field. But at the same time he’ll know how to explain what his work implies using terms that make sense to you. Good communication is at the basis of all successful collaborations, which makes it a requirement when working with a web designer. Choosing a web designer with strong communication skills will make the whole process infinitely easier for both parties.
Flexibility
It’s a well-known fact that the web design industry is constantly evolving and the most successful web designers evolve with it. Being flexible and capable to adapt to changes plays an important role in this profession. The best designers are the ones who not only stay up to date with the latest trends and developments in the field, but also know how to tackle issues as they arise when working on a project. The ability to adapt their style of work and strategies to each client is a major advantage.
