Choosing a web designer may be a difficult decision. Prices vary widely, many people are unsure of what makes a great website, and it’s difficult to know what expectations to have for both the end product and what it will accomplish to produce income. This post was written to assist you to understand what goes into hiring a NJ digital marketing agency and how to make the best decision for your company. I’ve watched numerous people spend large sums of money on ineffective and expensive website design services. And, whether you choose to work with us or not, I want to assist you in planning and understanding how to weigh your alternatives.
There is a distinction to be made between a beginner “web designer” and a true expert. Web design is a low-barrier-to-entry industry. As a result, many people, freelancers, and even some agencies come into it to earn money while delivering no actual value to their clients. A decent rule of thumb is that if it’s an extremely inexpensive website, meaning less than $5,000, it won’t provide outcomes that generate income. That is the entire idea. It is an investment, not a cost. An excellent website develops trust and inspires confidence in your visitors by showcasing your features and advantages. Before you start looking for a web designer, here are a few things you should know.
What platform do they use for web design?
There are a plethora of web design platforms available these days. And they differ considerably in terms of performance and function. There are total trash systems like Wix and Godaddy website builder, somewhat better platforms like Squarespace and Weebly, and high tier platforms with the most flexibility that can be tuned for outstanding performance like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. Shopify is also a viable alternative for E-Commerce-focused websites. Then, at the very top, some websites are entirely bespoke, created from the ground up, which are the most expensive and usually overkill for most company website needs.
Inquire about the platform on which the web designer intends to create. This will give you a good idea of where they are. If you speak with a site designer and they extol the virtues of Wix, flee. Most people will use WordPress since it is the most popular platform and has the most features. We build the majority of our websites on WordPress, with a few exceptions on Shopify and our own CMS. What is included in the price of web design and development? This is a major deal.
According to my years of expertise and competitive analysis, a lot of freelancers and web design firms start inexpensive and subsequently charge a lot more for everything. So what appears to be a good price ends up costing much more since you are paid for features that should be included, such as contact forms and social network integration. It is critical to go through EXACTLY what is included, what is an upcharge, and the amount of the upcharge. I’ve seen firms charge exorbitant fees for setting up a contact form, which can take only a few minutes, yet others charge upwards of $500 for it. Why? It doesn’t take $500 in time to set up, but they come in cheap in the hopes of getting you on board, then make up the difference by overcharging on items they know you’ll need. If a web design firm is not open about what is included and what add-ons cost, it is a major red flag and you should generally avoid working with them. Do they provide suggestions or just create what you tell them to? You require the services of an experienced web designer.
Choosing one that just generates what you want them to without making recommendations will not produce the greatest outcomes. Are you an expert in marketing? What exactly is SEO? Are you a conversion rate optimization expert or a competent copywriter? Why would you want to hire someone who does not take the time to come up with suggestions to improve the performance and conversion rate of your website? Who will be in charge of developing your website? Is it carried out in-house or outsourced? Is it handed over to an intern if built in-house, or is it built by an experienced professional? This is particularly common with web design firms. Did you know that the majority of web design firms outsource smaller tasks to offshore designers for pennies on the dollar? There are even courses available that demonstrate how web design firms may offer a website design for $5,000-$10,000 and then outsource it for a few hundred dollars. This appears to be deceptive and dishonest to me. Another issue that happens is that when you have a small company web design job, usually under $10,000 depending on the firm, it is farmed off to an intern with little monitoring. So you could expect an experienced professional web designer to work on your website, but instead, you get an unskilled beginner. That’s what happens when you’re a little fish in a huge pond, and no one tells you.
Companies like Radiant Elephant only take on a limited number of clients at a time because I, the owner, personally work on every website we build to ensure you receive the highest quality website and the most value for your money. What to look for when evaluating a web design firm. Their portfolio of web design Examine the portfolio of a possible web design firm. Is the work visually appealing, does it inspire trust, loads quickly, is it easy to browse, and makes sense if you were a visitor interested in the product or service? Consult with previous web design clients. Talking to a client or two is the greatest way to get a sense of what it’s like to deal with a web design business. Reputable web design firms will have a few clients who have consented to talk with prospective customers. Inquire about how the process went, how effectively the firm navigated it, how attentive they were to emails and phone calls, and did they deliver the goods on schedule.
Are you looking for a graphic designer or a web designer?
While I have nothing against graphic designers, employing one to build up your business website is typically not the greatest option. Graphic designers are not marketers, SEO specialists, or developers. Sure, they may create something beautiful, but beauty does not always lead to conversions.
Design of a Mobile Website
It astounds me how many fresh websites I see built by freelancers or even some companies that are not mobile responsive. And some dare to include it as one of their upcharges. Having a mobile responsive website is no longer a luxury; it is a must. Mobile devices account for more than half of all web traffic. If your website is not designed with mobile devices in mind, you will lose a lot of business and make your brand appear terrible.
The best solution is to employ a mobile-first web design firm. For example, I usually start with a simple yet strong mobile design and then add bells and whistles as screen sizes increase to provide a more immersive digital experience on the desktop. There is also a distinction between a mobile responsive website and a mobile website. It is responsive because it adjusts to changing viewport widths. It is a single webpage that changes depending on breakpoints. A mobile website, on the other hand, is a distinct website that is activated when someone visits on a phone. This is a sloppy method that demonstrates a company’s or freelancer’s lack of a current strategy that adheres to best practices.
Preparing for the Hiring of a Web Designer
As a seasoned professional web designer, I’ve observed what the most difficult issues are while creating a site for a customer. And one of the most important aspects is organization. I have a customer that paid my retainer 7 years ago but never gave me everything I needed to start working. This is also the most common cause of failure to fulfill deadlines. The following is a list of what you should have ready before hiring a web designer.
The website’s content
If you aren’t employing someone to write your material, you should have it ready or almost so. The most common cause of project delays is a lack of content. While a high-quality site design and marketing firm would most likely alter your content for marketing and SEO, having the foundation is critical. Figure out the pages you want to include; you may need to add more, but this is a good place to start. Consider your home, about, FAQ, and service or product pages, and attempt to write 1,000-1,300 words for each, except product pages, which should be approximately 800 words. Make sure all of the information is spell-checked and ready to transmit.
Website illustrations
If you want to utilize unique photos on your website, make sure to arrange them and have them ready to upload to a service like Dropbox. When sending pictures, use the greatest resolution available. If you provide an image that is 400 pixels wide and wants it to be the header image, it will look terrible and will cause you to postpone the project since you will need to either find the correct file or engage someone to retake it.
Websites of your competitors
Making a list of rivals’ websites and noting what you like and hate about them is one of the finest things you can do. This will assist your website designer in understanding the style you are attempting to accomplish.
Logo
If you don’t have a decent logo or branding, look for a firm that provides that as an extra service. You don’t want to skimp on your logo. A decent logo should cost at least $1,000. If you have a professionally created logo, make sure you have a high-resolution transparent.png version ready to go.