| When you select a web
designer, there are several things that you need to
be aware of and that need to be taken into consideration
before you make a decision.
To some extent, the ability to work successfully with
your web designer is sometime as important as their
actual skill in being able to deliver the project.
A web designer that is skilled in what they do but
is a pain to deal with can make the whole course frustrating
and not worth the money being spent, especially if you
have an emotional attachment to the project (which you
must have being the one supplying the money and motivation)
That relationship can be worth a large proportion of
the contract.
However, there are some key things you need to consider
Be careful in what you get for your money. Some possible
pitfalls you may want to check on
Obviously what do you get for your money?
What is included? Design, Content, Search Engine
Submission, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Graphic
Design, Updates? You need to get these details so you
can compare your quotes against each other. You also need
to quantify some of these things in terms of quantity,
hours, numbers search engines submitted to etc.
What are the ongoing costs?
All websites have ongoing costs. Web Hosting,
Domain Names and updates are the main three. Ensure
you know the total cost of your investment. Some companies
offer lower up front costs to lock you into higher ongoing
costs that end up costing you more. Some other things
are SSL certificate costs, more bandwidth and web space.
How easy is it to incorporate your branding?
Some template sites are hard to blend a logo or colors
into them, be wary of template driven website companies,
some of these people are skilled enough only to change
the text on a template. Some designers design their
sites from the ground up incorporating all of you design
elements in their design. These companies offer the
most flexibility.
How reliable is the services
provided
With hosting and email, too much down time can make
the whole experience unworkable. You don't want to have
to change hosts after six months because your designer
has given you with a poor host. Some people rely heavily
on email and these are the people that need to select
carefully so their business inst impacted.
What are the costs for making changes later
on?
Updates and maintenance on your site is something that
will eventually happen, even if you don't change the
content frequently you will eventually change some content
and so you need to know what it will cost over a year.
Hidden costs
Ensure common things (like search engine submissions)
are either not included or are an extra cost. Some key
things can be omitted to keep the price down. Ensure
you don't get sold short. An important one...is the
web designer doing the job part time Are your web designers
doing this as a full time job? Some designers are working
during the day and then web designing at night. A lot
of designers started out this way, but it can cause
issues when you need something done and they don't do
the job from 9-5.
If all these things check out then you have found someone
who you can work with and give you with a service that
will get you your desired result.
Remember; select a designer with the right skills,
but also one you believe you can work with on an ongoing
basis. Build a working relationship that will benefit
you both and your web project will benefit as well.
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