Business owners are always concerned with getting the word out about their products & services. A quick, scalable way to do this is by building an online presence, a website that presents your brand and assists to facilitate this presence. However, many business owners are so fully engaged with developing their business they may not be aware of the need nor have the knowledge or inclination to design a website for themselves. They may have even tried to develop it but the sheer complexity of designing a site, combined with operating their business, may have simply been to overwhelming.
Whether you have tried yourself or merely have little to no experience with designing a website, consider hiring a website designer instead to help you. They can facilitate awareness of your company brand thru a well designed professional website, and can assist you with your social media campaigns too.
Before hiring a designer, however, here are five questions that you must answer:
1 – What end-product do you “need”?
Make a list and prioritize “wants” versus “needs” for your site. It is easy to build a laundry list of things you want on your website because everything looks good on a demo. However, a website should be focused on the needs of your clients and the resolution to these needs that your company is fulfilling. Focus on their “need” rather than your “want” for the website. This is what will persuade them that your company is the right solution for them.
Refining the goal of your website will help decide both the content and the design that should go on it. Knowing your “needs” vs “wants” will also help the designer because when you have a clear, specific job outline, it will be easy for you to find someone who can deliver your goals.
2 – How much is your budget?
A website redesign, usability improvement, or content revamp, takes considerable time and effort. Because there is so much work involved in these types of projects, you must set a contract price to protect both you and the designer. It helps keep your project on track, and it ensures that they get compensated for the amount of work they offer.
You can avoid needless costs by planning out your project in detail and discussing the steps with your designer. This is why the first item, which is knowing what you need, is important. If you spend time planning your project, it will help to prevent budget over runs.
3 – What design style are you after?
Is your brands personality minimalist, whimsical, rustic, or something else? If you have an existing website, analyze what parts of it are working for the company, and decide whether or not they can be incorporated into the new design.
Aside from knowing what style you like, you should also be aware of what style you don’t like. Are there fonts and color schemes that you’d rather not see? Being aware of what colors work is an important part of the design process. Search online for color palettes, and see which combinations will best convey your brand identity.
4 – Do you have a timeline?
You should know how much time you are willing to spend on the redesign process. A good website designer will be able to work within this time-frame, provided that it is reasonable, and you both agreed on it at the start.
When you’ve determined a designer you want to work with, you need to set project milestones with them. This is so that you can have intermediate goals to work toward. Integrating your payment scheme with milestones will also help speed the project along.
5 – What soft skills does this project need?
Aside from the technical knowledge a website designer should have, you must also consider which soft skills are needed. This step, however, is more difficult to screen for as compared to hard skills, so you need to consider contextual evidence.
On the one hand, you might need the website to be completed quickly. If so, pay attention to applicants who respond to your post right away. On the other hand, you might need someone who can explain technical terms to you, your team or your superiors. In that case, good communication skills are what you need to look for in a prospect. See which qualities would help you deliver faster and better results, and keep a mental file of these.
In conclusion
Hiring a professional website designer is a practical step if you need to build a presence online but have no experience with designing or simply do not have the time or inclination to do so. A professional designer will be able to construct a website using the latest software, or they will know how to maximize the capabilities of content management systems like WordPress. Having someone worry about the nuts and bolts of your website give you more time to focus on other aspects of managing your business.
If you are looking for website designers in Anchorage, Alaska, consider Grow With Hype. We are a full-service digital marketing agency that has both designed and redesigned websites for many local brands. Contact us today to learn more about our services.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
