Tips for Hiring a Website Designer

Virtually all business owners nowadays need a website that will allow them to advertise their products or services. While there are plenty of free "build-your-own" site templates available, the truth is that to create a professional-looking, unique, and functional online presence, you need to hire a website designer. If you're thinking about doing this, here are some tips that should help you with this process.

Be certain about costs and terms

During your initial consultation with a designer, it is absolutely crucial to clarify what type of payment structure they offer and what their terms of payment are. For example, a lot of designers charge a single, fixed fee for building a website. But there are others who prefer to charge per site page or by the hour.

When discussing costs, be sure to ask the designer how many free revisions they will include; this is critical, as it's entirely possible that you will change your mind about certain aspects of the site as the project progresses. Knowing the exact number of free revisions you are allowed to request will ensure that you don't end up paying for costly additional edits that will lead you to going over-budget midway through the process.

Additionally, don't forget to discuss the deposit; in most cases, designers will request partial payment upfront. It's important to ask whether or not this deposit is refundable; a lot of the time, if a problem arises during a website-design project and the client decides not to carry on, this initial payment will not be returned.

Inquire about post-project site editing

Many people who are having a website designed fail to consider the fact that they will probably need to revise its contents in the future, long after the designer has finished doing their work. For example, you might need to change the prices of your products and services or update the contact details. It's crucial to inquire about this prior to hiring someone.

Ask the designer whether they will create a CMS (content management system) that will enable you to edit the site without their assistance or if you'll need to contact them to make these changes for you. In the case of the latter, you'll need to find out whether they will charge you a monthly fee for continual support.

If they do provide a CMS, and you have employees who you would like to use it, don't forget to ask the designer whether they are willing to show your staff how to use this system or to include a manual with the finished website that includes instructions that employees can refer to. It's also a good idea to ask people which specific areas of the site you and your staff will be able to alter and how complex the editing process of these sections will be.