Hiring a professional website designer is the key for any businesses online success. Nearly 40% of consumers will leave an unappealing website. Meanwhile, conversions can drop by 20% for every second of load time. About 70% of users abandon their shopping carts due to bad design, too.
If your website is old and outdated, you could miss a chance to make sales. Instead, consider hiring an experienced website designer. They can give your website the upgrade it needs!
Not sure who to hire? Here are a few tips that can help.
Keeping these factors in mind can help you find the best website designer for your company’s site.
Start your search with these easy tips today.
Relevant Experience
Start your search by looking for a web designer who has years of experience. Most people develop their skill sets from hands-on experience. You don’t want someone new to the industry working on your site.
Otherwise, they could make costly mistakes with your design and development. Your website could fail to impress customers as a result.
An inexperienced designer might rely on cookie-cutter templates, too.
Instead, ask each designer on your list how long they’ve worked in the industry. Ask how many websites they’ve worked on for businesses like yours, too.
Finding a web designer with relevant experience can give you an advantage. They’ll already have an understanding of your industry and customers. Then, they can create a website with your target audience in mind.
Before hiring a website designer, ask about their website development process or any new web dev trends that they implement.
You don’t want a website that looks like anyone else’s. Instead, the designer should create a site with your goals and needs in mind. Before working on your website, they should take the time to learn more about your business.
Otherwise, you could end up with a cookie-cutter website that fails to help accomplish your goals.
UX Expertise
Before choosing a designer, make sure they have the expertise you can depend on. Consider finding a designer who focuses on user experience (UX) web design trends. A good user experience will ensure your website visitors have a pleasing experience.
Better UX design could yield conversion rates of up to 400%.
Otherwise, visitors might struggle to use and navigate your website. They might leave without clicking around. Your bounce rate will rise as a result.
A high bounce rate can hurt your search engine ranking. A lower ranking could make it difficult for people to find you online.
Instead, ask the web designer how they’ll incorporate UX design across your site. For example, they might mention:
- Mobile-optimization
- Speeding up load times
- Improving the navigation
- Improving readability
Ask if they understand Google’s Core Web Vitals, too. Designing with Google’s Vitals in mind could benefit your search engine optimization (SEO). SEO can boost your ranking on search engines like Google.
Then, you can generate more website traffic, leads, and conversions.
If the designer doesn’t have UX expertise, ask how they plan on making your site easy to use.
The Right Services
Before choosing a web designer, consider your needs. What are you hoping to accomplish with your website? It’s important to find a web designer who offers the additional services you might need.
For example, is the designer able to create an eCommerce store on your site? If you plan on taking online orders, look for a designer who has eCommerce abilities.
Does your website need fresh, engaging copy? Look for a web designer that offers copywriting services, too.
You might want to consider finding someone with design and development services. Otherwise, your designer might struggle to improve your site’s functionality.
Remember, the best website designer is someone who can help you accomplish your goals.
If their services don’t align with your business marketing goals, look elsewhere.
An Impressive Portfolio
Every designer will try to convince you that they’re the best in the business. You don’t have to take their word for it. Instead, ask each website designer if you can look at their portfolio.
If they’ve helped a business within your industry, ask for that website’s URL. Then, explore the site.
Do the web designer’s abilities meet your expectations? If not, scratch that designer off your list.
Choose someone with an impressive portfolio that proves they have the skills for the job.
References and Reviews
You can also learn more about a designer’s abilities by asking for references and reviews. Try to speak with at least three of the designer’s clients. Then, ask about their experience working with the designer.
For example, you can ask if the designer was:
- On-time
- Professional
- Capable of accomplishing the client’s goals
If the web designer works for an agency, look for reviews on their Google My Business listing. You can find reviews on their Better Business Bureau profile, too. Make sure the agency doesn’t have any complaints filed against them.
The Right Price
Ask at least three designers on your list for a quote. Make sure you understand what’s included. You might find that eCommerce capabilities and other services cost more.
Ask the website designer if revisions are included in the cost, too. How many changes can you request?
Take the time to review the contract in full before signing on the dotted line.
The Web Designer’s Availability
Before choosing a web designer, consider your timeline. How soon do you want your website completed? Then, ask each designer about their availability.
How many websites are they currently working on? Ask when they can get started on your website, too. Then, ask how long they expect your project to take.
If they’re too busy, it could take a few months before they even get started on your website.
Instead, choose someone who is available to work based on your timeline.
Design It Right: What to Consider Before Hiring a Website Designer
You don’t have to hire the first website designer you find. Instead, use these tips to narrow down your options. With these tips, you can find the best website designer for your business.
They’ll ensure your site accomplishes your business marketing goals.
Eager to get started right away? We’re here to help. Book a consultation with our team today to get started.