David Thacker
It is extremely important for any business to have an online presence in the form of a website. However, just having any old website with your business’s name on it isn’t quite going to cut it when trying to attract business. Your company’s website is the first impression you make on new customers. It’s vital you take the time and set aside a financial budget to be able to find the right website designer who has the knowledge and skills to build an amazing website that will help your business thrive.
Your website should be current in style and layout, pleasing to the eye, user-friendly, able to be accessed on mobile devices, include an SEO framework, and the list goes on and on. Aesthetics is a very important part of designing your business’s website, there are many factors that go into building a well-functioning business website. And all the pieces need to come together to bring in new customers as well as retain long-term clients and keep them coming back again and again.
Whether you are building a brand-new website from scratch for a new business or looking to update your existing website, you might be wondering what the best way might be to find a website designer near you. We can help. Here are five expert tips for finding the best website designer near you:
1. Make a List of Website Requirements and a Financial Budget
Before you meet with any website designers, come up with a list of requirements that you have for your website. For example, your business may need to incorporate online sales, or perhaps you have a service-based business and instead of an online store, you need a scheduling program to book clients on a calendar.
How many pages do you need your website to have? If you are selling multiple products, do you need a webpage for each product in order to list the product descriptions and details? Do you have ideas of how you want to lay out the navigation or look of your website? Perhaps your business logo has a particular color scheme you want to ensure is continued throughout the website.
If you aren’t sure where to start, surf your competitors’ websites to see what type of layout and designs they have. What do you like or not like? What makes navigation easy or difficult for you? If you’ve seen a website design you really like, make a note of it and share it with your designer as an example of what you have in mind.
Once you have a list of website requirements to discuss with your website designer, it’s time to work out your budget. Come up with a dollar amount you are comfortable allocating for website design from your business’s annual budget. Knowing how much you are able to safely spend on a website can help you and your designer come up with a design that both meets your needs and budget.
2. Read Reviews and Ask Your Network
Spending some time online reading reviews of potential designers is a good place to start your search for a website designer. Doing a basic web search for a “website designer near me” can help you narrow down your list of potential website designers to pick from to a list of those who operate in your area.
Don’t just rely on reviews found on the designer’s own website, as that can be unreliable. Instead, read reviews on business review sites for more accurate reviews. Try searching on Yelp for local website designers in your area, as you can find local designers and read real reviews of their work.
If you find a website that you like while surfing, look at the footnote to see who is advertised as the website designer. Oftentimes, a designer’s name is listed in the footer of the webpages they design and can be a great resource to find those designers that align with your artistic style.
Don’t forget to use your network for recommendations. Word of mouth is a great way to find reliable and quality website designers. Ask your family, friends, and local businesses with snazzy websites, or even pose the question on your social media and see if you get any great referrals.
3. Review Portfolios
Ask potential website designers for examples of their work or look through their portfolios if they’re featured online. Do you like what you’re seeing? If you’re finding little that fits your style, think about looking elsewhere.
Look in particular at website examples for businesses similar to yours. If the designer has not worked within your industry, it doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t a good fit for your business, however, it’s something to consider. You may find it easier to work with a website designer who is familiar with your field and more experienced at designing the type of website you need for your business.
4. Interview Potential Web Designers
Once you have a list of possible website designers, it’s time to contact them and set up a visit or video chat. This is a great time to ask questions and gather data so you can make your decision on who will be best for your design needs. Do your homework and be prepared with questions for potential designers. You should also discuss your budget to see if it will work within their price structure.
Finally, ask about turnaround time. If they’re scheduled out months into the future and you’re looking to get your site up and running as soon as possible, you’ll need to make some decisions.
5. Ask About Continued Website Support
A good business website isn’t something you just set and forget. It’s important to have some sort of website maintenance contract with your website designer if you don’t have an internal IT department. Websites require periodic updates and monitoring to ensure everything is running as it should. So before you pick your designer, make sure to iron out who handles the website maintenance after it launches.
If your business is located in Southern California, contact InnoVision Marketing Group to discuss your website design needs and explore their portfolio.
