Best Web Designer

When it comes to designing a website for your small business, you want the best web designer.

Many small business support local businesses. Small business owners usually want to hire a local company to create their website. Many of them have low budgets, are non-profits or start up. For example small business may be online publishers, hair salons, contractors, personal trainers, small restaurant catering to the local area, churches, lawyers, health and wellness centers, home improvement contractors, real estate offices, t-shirt shops, etc.. These are business or individuals who are not backed by corporations.

Small Business Web Design

If you are a small business and have a strained budget selecting the best web designer can be a challenge. Due to budget restrictions many small business hire an inexperienced web designer or may use website builders to build their website. However, if you want to promote your business, do not sacrifice the quality of your website. Keep in mind a website is the foundation of your SEO. Moreover, SEO begins when you start planning your website. Therefore, creating a website in not about splashing colors and images. The layout, code structure, navigation, content and images for your website, all have an impact on SEO.

Find the Best Web Designer

Questions For A Web Designer

We’ve compiled a checklist for you to help you make the right decision when choosing a web designer for your business web site.

Web Design Experience

What kind of web experience do you have?
How many websites have you build?
If you would like an e-Commerce website or generally accept payments on your website, ask your web designer if they have experience in setting up credit card payments.
If you need a membership or subscriptions website ask the web designer if they have experience in doing this.
If you are a realtor, then ask the web developer if they have experience integrating IDX.

Web Design Portfolio

Do you have a design portfolio that I can review? Experienced web designers will have extensive portfolios.
Ask them to give you designs from varied business.

Web Design Reviews

Can you provide references? In addition to reviewing the web designs, ask the web designer to provide you with some references.
Of course you could read online reviews but many of them are bogus. Many companies post their own reviews.

Web Design Cost and Processes

What are your prices?
Do you charge by the hour or do you charge by the project?
Do you have fixed prices?
Do you accept credit cards? You do not want to hire somebody who charges by the hour. This will be very expensive for you.
Do you have experience with social media? Do you know how to make a search engine friendly website?
What is your process for building a website?
Do you offer support after website launch?
Do you outsource? Many web companies farm out projects and mark up the design cost to make profit. If you want to deal directly with the web designer, then you do not want a company that outsources their work.
Will my website be scaleable? If you are a small business or a start up, you will want the website to grow as your business grows. Therefore, it is essential that you have a website that is easily saleable.
How long will it take to have my website up and running?

What Next?

Now that you have signed up with a Web Designer what are your responsibilities?

Communicate with your designer effectively. If there are a few websites you like, you should provide them as examples and ask the designers opinion. Let the designer know what colors you like, what colors you dislike, whether you like busy sites, or clean sites. Let the designer know what feeling you wish your design to convey. Let them know if there a special functionality you want, if you need special contact forms. Give the designer your content, your logo and your images. After the designers gives you a sample, review it promptly and give your feedback. Since your designer has more experience in designing your website do not design it for them! For example do not create a sample design on a paper and give it to them! You may design something that is not search engine friendly.