The Three Most Important Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring a Web Designer

Websites can be more affordable and accessible than ever, but let’s face it, many people and businesses still make costly mistakes. In most cases, it’s due to what I think is poor planning, preparation, and marketing, and that includes hiring the right web designer for the job. Your website is your online authority and it can have a huge impact on your reputation and results. For online businesses, it is literally everything. Choosing the right person or company who not only understands your needs, but has the technical, creative, and marketing knowledge to turn your vision into reality is critical.

Rather than wasting valuable time on lengthy interviews and reviews, I recommend that you cut to the chase and examine the three areas most critical to you: site ownership, site maintenance, and search engine marketing / optimization (SEO / SEM). If they are wrong in these areas, especially the last one, everything else will be meaningless. Get them right and everything else is negotiable.

Once you narrow down your search, which should include at least three companies, interview each one paying close attention to the answers to these three fundamental questions:

Who will be the owner of my website?

In short, the answer to this question will be better than you. Too often, companies find out after the fact that they own nothing but the content they provide. This is very discouraging and all too common. Some web designers take ownership of your work and may require the purchase of hosting. After the site is completed and paid for on the agreed terms, you must own and control the domain, hosting account, and website and obtain a backup of the site for your files. Beware of proprietary content management systems (CMS), free site builders, and monthly hosting fees above $ 10. Few companies have specialized needs that require proprietary software or hosting. As an owner, you want the freedom and ability to move to other designers and web servers should you choose to do so.

How will I make changes to the site?

Creating a website is one thing, editing and maintaining it is another. Many companies wish they had the ability to maintain their website once completed, but few are really equipped to do so. Ask the designer in question if you will be able to add or edit content and pages on your own, or if you will have to rely on them for your edits. If you can do it on your own, you will either have to learn a complex editing program or you will be operating on a WYSIWYG type platform (what you see is what you get). Make sure you get a modern built-in editing program, if possible. Site owners can maintain open source CMS like Joomla, Drupal, and WordPress with minimal support as needed by the web designer.

Is search engine marketing and optimization (SEO / SEM) included?

Too often, companies assume that search engines will find and index your new site after it launches, but it is a dangerous assumption that can lead to great frustration and additional cost. The truth is that most web designers are not qualified to optimize their new site for search engines. This is why more companies are looking for marketing and advertising, as well as creative service companies for their web design. SEO and SEM will be ongoing for the life of the website and it is very important to discuss it with a prospective web designer. If they can’t incorporate SEO strategies before or after the site goes live, can they refer you to a qualified SEO consultant?