3 Crucial Questions To Ask Any Web Designer Before You Hire
Anyone with a computer and some basic training can set themselves up as a web designer, which begs the question: How do you find out if your web designer is an experienced professional or an unseasoned novice? Simple. Ask them the following three questions.
1. Can you optimise my website for search engines, and if so, how would you do it?
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is perhaps the most crucial aspect of web design today, and yet because it’s essentially non-visual, it’s often the most overlooked. Your web designer may be able to build you a great looking website, but if no one ever sees it, it’s as good as useless. Search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing are the number one source of web traffic, and your designer must therefore have a good understanding of how search engines rank websites – even if you go on to employ someone else to do the bulk of the SEO work.
But surely design and SEO are completely different things? Wrong – they’re two sides of the same coin. An SEO strategy may affect your website layout, its content and navigation – even the domain name you choose. SEO starts at your very first design meeting. These days, a web designer who knows nothing about SEO should be avoided if at all possible.
2. Can I see examples of similar work from your web design portfolio?
A website designer who lacks a portfolio of strong, relevant websites should be treated with great caution. Ask to see examples of previous websites they’ve built which are similar to the website you have in mind for your own business. Ask to see recent, live websites if possible, and make sure you see at least one demonstration of every skill the website designer professes to have.
3. What are my company goals and customers’ needs?
Many a website designer will get caught up in the details of how a site looks and how it works, forgetting that a website is first and foremost a marketing tool for your business. If your web designer hasn’t asked you about your business goals and your customers’ needs within the first few minutes of any discussion, BEWARE! A good designer will establish exactly what you want your website to achieve, and exactly what your customers are looking for. If your website designer stumbles over their words when you ask this question, I strongly advise you to find another.
Of course, there are many other crucial questions to ask before you sign a contract (you will ask for a contract, right?), but these are among the most important. If your prospective designer answers these questions professionally and with confidence, the chances are you’ve found yourself a great web designer!
Russell Gillman is a professional, affordable Freelance Web Designer in London. Russell specialises in Web Design and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), as well as Graphic Design, Copywriting and Photography. Need a website? Get in touch with Russell.
Author: Russell Gillman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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