A recent study showed that 38% of visitors stop browsing a website if they don’t find the content attractive.

If you want to keep prospective customers on your site then you need to invest in its design look-and-feel. In this post we will go over some tips for finding the right designer for you.

Functionality and target audience

You will need to have a clear understanding of the type of customer you are looking to attract and the image you wish to portray, i.e. established and corporate, young and on-trend etc.

You will also need to have an understanding of what you require your site to include, not just in content, but more importantly its functionality.

For instance, does your site require eCommerce, a booking calendar, stock control? What about a secure customer login, multiple languages? Or your site a simple ‘Who we are, What we do’ brochure site? These details will influence the complexity of build and budget required.

Set a budget

While there isn’t a specific industry standard for pricing when it comes to web design, you should set yourself an upper limit. This will help determine the level of web design and functionality that you want. Once you know how much you are prepared to spend, you will have a better idea of the results you can expect.

Choose your designer

There are three main options here, the freelance web designer, the design agency and the full service agency.

The Web Design Agency

The agency usually consists of small to medium sized web design teams. They can be more expensive than freelancers, but you are getting a team with a broader pool of expertise and increased resources to call upon. A good agency should have the capacity to provide a quick response, ability to provide more customised solutions due to their extended team resources and collective skills, this can often lead to faster turnaround times and a more tailored solution with ongoing support being readily available.

Freelancer

The freelancer tends to be the cheapest option as working with them tends to be more of an informal process, which is great, if your freelancer is good.

A good freelancer should be responsive with excellent communication skills. A bad freelancer, on the other hand, can be disorganised, difficult to get hold of and unable/unwilling to make those tweaks and adjustments you need.

If you’re hoping to employ a freelancer, you can try to mitigate that risk by doing your research, and looking for reviews and testimonials; though do bear in mind that, no matter how conscientious your freelancer, they only have one pair of hands – so you may not get your requests turned round as swiftly as you wanted.

The Full Service Agency

The full web service agency covers everything from web design and development to SEO, PPC advertising and generally has more web marketing expertise. They are often a similar cost to the web design agencies, but are able to support you and your business with digital marketing strategies, brand development and much more should you require these skills now or in the future. This means you deal with one agency who know you, your business, your objectives and goals , therefore delivering a more holistic approach.

Look at examples of their work

The first step in choosing the web design solution that’s best for you is to look at sites that they have designed previously. This demonstrates how much experience they have in design, and lets you know if you like their style of design.

Check to see how the sites behave on mobile devices, and look for attention to detail (spacing of elements, responsive behaviour), this is the difference between good web design and great web design.

Read the testimonials and reviewsTestimonials and reviews give you a bit of insight into the quality of work that the designers produce.

Companies that have a plentiful amount of positive feedback from their clients are likely to be good to work with.

Ask questionsThere are many aspects to web design and it can be difficult to understand if you are unfamiliar with the industry. The best providers will be happy to sit down with you and explain their process and how they will work with you, not just for you.

If you feel you are being confused by terminology and buzzwords, don’t be afraid to get them to slow down and explain what they mean. Communication is key, if you are to work together successfully.

You need to feel they are listening to you and are willing to take the time to ensure you are both on the same page. If you feel they aren’t listening or don’t explain themselves clearly, they are probably the wrong people for you.

Get a proposal with costsIt’s important for all parties that there is no misunderstanding in terms of what you require, will receive, how much it’s going to cost, who is responsible for what and when it will be delivered.

Therefore it’s important to agree these details before starting the project.

Get in touch!

If you would like to discuss your website requirements or the processes in more detail, please feel free to get in touch or call us on 01625 666900, we will be more than happy to listen and help you to make the right decision for your business.