Let’s say you are in the process of having a website built for your business. You are looking around for a web developer and don’t know the first thing to look for. How do you make sure that when you do make a decision to hire a professional designer, you are indeed choosing the best service fit for your business? The most important thing you need to do is to ask the right questions.
When you meet with a designer, treat it like a job interview. This is the time for you to get to know their organisation, check the legitimacy of the service, and determine if their culture is compatible with your own business values. Most importantly, you should also have a clear understanding of how the designer plans to approach specific challenges involved with the project you are proposing.
Here are five essential questions you need to ask in order to find the best web designer in Bristol.
- How does the designer approach the concept of usability?
A business website is not meant to be used by the business owner, or employees of the company, but caters to the end-users which are your potential clients and customers. A professional web design service should have this as their main focus. They should approach web-design as a user-centred process where the experience of the user is paramount.
- Ask the designer to show sample work similar to what you would like to achieve.
A wide range of design options is always a sign that the designer understands and caters to the unique needs of individual businesses. Customisation is also a key element in building a website. As such, you should be able to conceptualise your own idea and the designer should be able to interpret it. No designer should rely on templates that are tweaked to suit different clients.
- Is the owner willing to introduce you to the design team?
This will help you confirm whether the company has in-house designers or outsources the services elsewhere. Outsourcing is a good thing too since a lot of big companies are using this tool to ensure that they meet the requirements of their clients. The company should be open about this part of their operation, as it fosters trust. Depending on the goals of your business in building a website, the company should have experts who can handle and deliver your needs regardless of whether they are in-house or outsourced.
- How much leeway do they give on revisions?
Lastly, check how well they are able to accommodate changes along the way. Realistically, business websites evolve over time and there may be some tools relevant now but will need to undergo changes later on. Your choice of the design team should be flexible enough to handle changes that may be needed. If possible, there should be a content management tool set up so that you don’t have to wait in case you need to make small changes.
These four questions, in general, should be a useful guide when choosing a web design team for your business.
