By Derek Ashauer
You would think, in the digital marketing age, that finding a great web design and Internet marketing vendor would be a pretty simple task. And yet, as business owners find out month after month, it’s surprisingly easy to choose a terrible designer or creative team and end up wishing you could get your money back later.
To give you a sense of what the common issues are – and more importantly, a look at how you can avoid them – today we want to give you a step-by-step guide to hiring a web designer you’ll come to hate…
Shop In The Bargain Bin
When you shop at the bottom of the market for a new business website, you’re going to get one of a few things: a template-built website that looks generic, a web presence designed by someone with little or no experience, or work from a team that can’t afford to give you a lot of time and attention. None of these is likely to get you the beautiful custom website you need to attract new buyers.
Look At Samples (And Nothing Else)
Web design samples are important, but so are case studies, client reviews, and personality fits. Additionally, portfolios don’t tell you much about costs, return on investment, or whether a website was built with custom features and programming. Look at the visuals, but don’t focus on them completely.
Make The Decision Based On Upfront Costs
Budgets matter, whether you’re writing a check for a website or anything else. But, if you think about the upfront cost as the only thing that matters, you could end up missing out on what you need to help generate revenue in the future. Remember, your website and online marketing plan is an investment in new business development, not a one-time cost to be written off.
Don’t Ask Any Questions
Given that most business owners aren’t completely familiar with the ins and outs of web design, search engine optimization, social media, and other related topics, we love it when they ask questions. That way, they can know what we do, and what they’ll get for their money. If you don’t take the time to ask about the details – or worse, if you hire a designer who doesn’t answer your questions thoroughly – you’re just inviting trouble.
Ignore That Feeling In Your Stomach
Sometimes you just know you’re about to make a bad decision. Despite the smooth sales pitch or the unbelievably low price, you feel a sense of regret in your stomach before you even make the deal. If you get the sense you might regret a decision later, take a day or two to pause and look at your web design options. It’s better to endure a small delay than a big mistake.
There are committed and professional creative teams (like ours) who can help you build a professional-looking web presence that will help your business grow for years to come. Take the wrong shortcuts, though, and you can easily find yourself paying for a web design that nets you little more than frustration in return.
To avoid all of that, call or email our team today so we can talk about the future of your business!