Important Questions to Ask a Web Designer
There are many benefits to hiring a web designer, but there are certain questions you should ask before. Here are six important questions to ask a web designer.
Did you know there are over 1 billion websites on the World Wide Web? Almost 200 million of those are active sites. If you’re in business, you need a unique website that offers something valuable to your users. Are you ready to start the web design process?
There are some important questions to ask a web designer before you pull the trigger. Wondering what those are? Keep reading for six important questions to ask a web designer before you hire her.
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What’s Your Industry Experience
Before you hire a web designer, ask about his industry experience. If the designer has only designed websites for one type of industry, and it’s not your industry, you may want to look elsewhere. If the designer has lots of experience, it doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker, but it helps if he’s familiar with your industry’s language.
Custom Website Versus Customized Theme
Ask if your website is custom or a customized theme. Custom sites cost more, but a qualified developer hand codes the entire site. A customized theme is a pre-built template that’s customized to your business. It has your brand’s colors, logo, and other features, but it’s not custom-built. If you want a unique site built for you, you want a fully custom website.
User Experience
Ask the web designer about how he ensures consistency across all devices. You want your website to look great on every device, from a laptop to a smartphone. It’s especially important for your site to look great on a smartphone since 81% of American adults use one.
Content Management System (CMS)
Ask the website designer about the CMS system. This is the platform your website lives on. It’s also the backend where administrative functions take place. Ask for a website demonstration, and make sure it’s a system with which your team can work. If the CMS is clunky and not intuitive, ask if the developer has another CMS they can recommend.
How Long Will the Design Take?
A good custom website design takes time, but an experienced designer can give you a basic schedule. Ask the designer to walk you through the build process. Make sure you sign a contract to protect both you and the designer. The contract should include the number of edits that come with the design.
Ask for the Original Files
Make sure the original custom graphics come with the cost of your site. You’ll want these later if your team needs them or something happens to your original designer, and she’s no longer available.
Good Questions to Ask a Web Designer
These are good questions to ask a web designer when you’re getting ready to build your website. Make sure the designer has the experience and is at least familiar with your industry. If it’s in the budget, go for a fully custom site instead of a customized theme. Make sure the user experience is great across all platforms, and make sure your team can work with the CMS platform.
Get an idea of how long the build will take and sign a contract. The contract should include the number of edits and give you ownership of the original graphics files. Was this helpful? Find other helpful articles on the blog!
