So you’re ready to hire a website designer, hooray! After making the decision to receive support building your website, maybe you typed “web designer” into Google and then you realized just how many website designers and website developers are out there. How do you know which one is right for you? Hiring the right web designer who can nail your website is CRUCIAL to the success of your business so you need to make sure you get it right.
The truth is, there is a HUGE difference between hiring a website designer who is just starting out and hiring a website designer who has built hundreds of websites and has tons of experience.
That’s the case with pretty much any professional instrustry, but websites can feel extra complicated because they need to do a whole lot more than just look pretty. They need to convert and bring you business and sales on autopilot.
If you’ve ever hired or worked with a designer before and had a less-than ideal experience, then you already know how important it is to ask the right questions BEFORE you make your final decision on who to hire to build your digital home. Here are some questions you should ALWAYS ask a website designer and/or website developer before working with them to make sure they know their stuff and will be able to build you a brand and website that gives you instant credibility online.
Question 1 to ask before hiring a website designer: Ask what website platform they use to build client websites on and WHY
A website platform is a software that you and your designer will use to create your website. Examples of website platforms: WordPress, Shopify, SquareSpace, Kajabi, Wix etc.
Unless you are working with a big agency, you will likely want to hire a designer who specializes in one platform. As a web designer, I always recommend WordPress for my client websites because it creates the best result from a technical standpoint and in my experience the system I use to build websites on WordPress is the easiest for my clients to maintain and update.
There are other platforms out there that may be suitable for you, but you want to make sure your website designer and developer can speak to WHY they’ve chosen a certain platform to build your site on. Ask them to explain all the benefits of the platform and any potential issues. Their answers will help you gauge if they are experts in that platform. You also want to ask if they plan to teach you how to use, maintain and update your website once it’s completed and ensure the platform they are choosing is going to be easy for you to use.
Pro Tip: If a website designer or developer ever tells you they will custom code your website from scratch, run in the other direction.
Unless you are building an extremely customized website Twitter or Facebook, a custom coded website is TOTALLY unnecessary and it will be next to impossible for you to update. Most online service-based and ecommerce small businesses do not need this level of customization and will thrive from a website built on one of the website builder platforms mentioned above.
Question 2: Request SPECIFIC results that past clients have gotten as a result of their Branding & Web Design work
One of the biggest mistakes I see from clients who are working with me after receiving a website from another design that doesn’t work for their business is that when hiring their previous designer, they focused mainly on the visual aspects of a website designer’s portfolio. A website that looks pretty without getting you results just will not cut it. You need a website that both looks professional AND is optimized specifically to convert and get you your desired results.
A good, experienced designer will be able to tell you what percent increase in revenue their clients have seen as a result of working together, the rate clients were able to grow their email list after launching their new website, etc. Your Brand & Website is the foundation upon which your business is built and you want to make sure it is going to be built purposefully with a strategy in mind to get you results.
Pro Tip: Your website designer should have video testimonials on their website as well as complete case studies so that you can get the full picture of the types of transformations you can expect from working with them.
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Question 3: Ask them to explain their website design and development process
There is no specific right answer when a designer explains their process, however the main thing you are looking to make sure is that your potential designer has a detailed, thought-out process. You want them to sound like they have described this process hundreds of times, almost the way you’d expect your doctor to explain how to prepare for a procedure. If they can’t tell you exactly what will go down, how you will receive designs, how much time you’ll have for review and how many revisions you’ll get – then chances are the experience of working with them is going to be chaotic and you won’t get great results.
There are many good designers out there but what sets a good designer apart from a designer who can create a website that will convert like crazy for you is this: A designer who spends the time implementing a system to give you a seamless experience working with them so that you can focus on things like writing your website copy and providing fabulous brand photos.
Pro Tip: Your designer should have a project management system in place for communication, sending and receiving files, deadlines and project feedback. There are many tools that can work for this, but in general you don’t want a designer who says they just use email!
Your website will give you the best results if the creation process is smooth and joyful. If creating your website feels like pulling teeth, your clients will feel that when they visit your site. Give yourself the best shot at success by asking your web designer these 3 questions before you work together.
If you are curious exactly what type of strategies you can implement to create a website that converts, check out this post: 3 KEY STRATEGIES TO CREATE A WEBSITE THAT SELLS FOR YOU
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