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copyright © 2005, by Karyn Greenstreet. All
rights reserved.
When you’re self-employed, choosing a web designer is a crucial
decision, as a good website can bring you more business and a bad
one can drive away prospective customers.
Below are some important
things to consider when selecting a website designer for your
project.
What Types Of Web Designers Are There?
I don't think there is an "official" definition, so I'll give you MY
definition:
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Website Designer -
helps you to determine the page layout, graphics, text location
and colors of your site, as well as the navigation and how pages
will cross-link to one another. He may also do the actual
computer programming and graphic art work for the site, or may
hire out that work to a programming specialist. A Website
Designer is the project manager for your site design.
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Website
Programmer - takes the design from the Designer and creates
the code to make the site run. She is also responsible for all
the technical stuff that happens behind-the-scenes to make sure
the site works properly for your visitors.
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Graphic Designer -
creates the graphics for the site, including page layout,
colors, etc. Think of this person as the "visual artist" for
your site.
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Internet Marketing Consultant - helps you to determine how your website
fits into your overall marketing strategy, and how to get more
traffic and sales from your website.
Sometimes, if you’re
lucky, you can get all four of these skills from the same person.
A Note on Copywriting
You may find a designer who can also help you with the text for your
website but don’t count on it. Be prepared to write the text
yourself, or hire a professional copywriter. Copywriters charge per
page, sometimes up to $500 a page ($5,000 for a 10-page website.)
Consider a hybrid solution: get advice about simple website
copywriting principles from an internet marketing consultant, then
you write the text. Have the consultant edit the text
to make sure that it works on the web.
Who Is A Good Designer And How Much Do They Charge?
Much of your choice of designers depends on
whether you want to work locally with someone, or whether you are
willing to work remotely with them over the phone. Here are some
things to think and ask about when hiring a website designer:
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Pay attention to how
much they ask you about YOUR BUSINESS. They should want to get
to know you and your business intimately. How else can they
design a site that reflects you and your business, unless they
spend time to get to know you?
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Look at sites they've
designed to see if you like their style. Is there a certain feel
to ALL their sites, or are they flexible in their designs?
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Ask them if they did
the actual graphic and layout design of the site, or if they
just did the programming.
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If they don't do the graphic work themselves, can they recommend
a graphic artist?
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Do they have
a structured planning process that leads you through the design
phase, and if will they document all the discussions and
decisions? If they have a Website Planning Guide that you’ll
work through together, that's really helpful.
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Ask them what they
know about internet marketing and search engine optimization. Be
sure that they're creating a site for you that meets your larger
marketing and business goals. (A pretty site is no good to you
unless it generates revenue and prospects.)
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Ask the designer for their fees and what is the estimated
cost for the site you want. They may not be able to give you a
good estimate until you discuss content and features of the
site. Expect to pay between $60 - $125 an hour, depending on
their skill and their location. A quality website with
good graphic design and layout will cost around $2,500 - $3,500
for a 10-page site. If you add a blog,
newsletter, shopping cart, autoresponders, email address setup,
SEO, membership site, or logo design (or
if you have more than 10 pages), expect the price to be higher.
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Ask them how they
bill you. Will they invoice you monthly, or when certain
milestones are reached? Do you have to make deposits?
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Pay attention to
whether they'll try to stick within your budget, or whether they
keep suggesting new add-ons that increase to the cost of your
site. Remember, designers aren’t responsible for your budget --
you are.
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Talk to some of their
current and recent clients, to see how smooth the process was.
You want someone who has good project management skills AND good
communication skills. They have to listen to you, not just give
advice.
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Ask them whether they
will maintain your site after the initial design, and how much
they'll charge for that. Some designers want to create new sites
but don't want to maintain them. Someone like a virtual
assistant (VA) may be able to maintain your site for a lower
hourly fee, as long as the VA is skilled in website programming.
The more bells and whistles and complicated programming in your
site, the less likely that an average VA will be able to
maintain it for you.
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If you're going to
maintain the site yourself, ask them if they'll design your site
so that it is easily maintained by a business owner. We
recommend Adobe Contribute for basic maintenance tasks to all
our website design clients, as it's easy-to-use and if you make
a mistake, you can "roll back" the website to a previous (good)
version.
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Make sure that your contract states that you own the
copyright to the entire website (except, of course, for stock
photos and graphic...the original photographer/artist owns the
copyright to stock images). All content, including graphics that
you hired someone to custom-create for you, should be owned by
you.
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Make sure you own your domain name, even if the website designer
registered it for you.
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Ask your designer for original, editable source files. You need to be assured
that you will be able to edit your website (or have another
designer edit your website) with ease.
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You have got to enjoy talking and working with them.
Do you LIKE the
designer? Do you believe they'll act ethically? Do you enjoy
speaking with them? Do they stay focused to the task at hand, or
do they ramble and waste your time? Do you feel you "click" with
their personality and values? Do they offer you invaluable
insight and advice about your site design?
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Tell each prospective
website designer what your deadline is and ask if they can meet
it. Many good website designers are already booked for the next
4-6 weeks, so you may have to wait for the designer of your
choice. If you don’t have a specific deadline, brainstorm with the
designer to create a good working deadline that you can both
meet, especially if you will be doing the job of writing the
website text.
Your website is crucial to the success of your business.
By doing extensive
interviewing of potential website designers, you’re more likely to
pick one that can do the work you want, is willing to really listen
to you, can create a site that reflects you and your business, and
keeps within your budget and timeframe.
If you'd like to talk with us about our website design process,
please contact us.
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Karyn Greenstreet is a Self Employment expert and small business coach. She
shares tips, techniques and strategies with self-employed people to boost
clarity and focus, create sustainable motivation, and increase sales and
profits.
Visit her website at
www.PassionForBusiness.com
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