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marketing, Internet graphics options and
limitations, effectively creating a site from the perspective of search engines,
the differences and limitations of different browsers and computer platforms as
well as knowledge of the software and coding required to move beyond simple
static html pages.
It is also vitally important that your designer
understand you and your business and know how to most effectively communicate
you and your uniqueness to your Internet audience. To answer our question, we’ll
look at some important pieces of information that you’ll need to find out before
you choose your website designer.
What do you want in a website? What are your
needs and intentions for having a website? Does the prospective designer listen
to and understand your needs and intentions? Have you checked other similar
businesses to see what they are doing on the Internet? Can a prospective
designer offer any suggestions for improving upon what others have already
accomplished? The more clarity you have about your intended results for having a
website, the more accurately you can communicate your needs to your designer and
the more likely it is that you will achieve these results.
Is the designer experienced in website design?
How long has the designer been creating websites? What is their background? How
long have they been using the Internet? Three years is a long time in Internet
terms. More than four or five years is a seasoned veteran. Ideally, your site
designer has a variety of experience.
What are the designer's strengths and
weaknesses? The range of skills required for creating any type of website is
more diverse than you can imagine. If a designer tells you they have done or can
do any project, I’d suggest you take that statement with a grain of salt.
Is the designer easy to work with and talk to?
Is she/he able to communicate technical information so that you can understand
it? The process of creating a website can often be an overwhelming process for
some people. Consider hiring a designer with whom you have a good rapport and
find communicating with easy.
Look at some of their previous clients sites.
Do they all look the same? Do they load quickly? Are they easy to navigate
through? Do you like their previous work? Do they accurately reflect their
clients’ business? Does the designer custom create each site or would they have
you select from a list of prepackaged sites?
What is your budget and what is the typical
cost for the designer’s projects? As a generalization, the larger the company,
the more they charge for their services (and often the more elaborate the sites
they create.) Companies which create sites from a prepackaged template often
cost less but don’t provide you with custom solutions which may more closely
meet your needs. Site designers who are getting started will often create your
site for a lower fee, essentially using your project to develop their skills.
Your decision should be based on many of these
important questions. Also use any other questions you find useful when hiring
any other service business for a project. Comparing website designers is
sometimes like comparing bananas to bicycles instead of apples to apples. Don’t
be afraid to ask questions. You might consider writing pros and cons for each
designer on a sheet of paper to develop a more objective point of view.
The selection of your website designer is an
important step in the creation of a successful website. With time and patience,
you too can join the thousands of businesses with successful websites.
u2surf.net Website Design
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