It’s a new year and, if you’re looking to spice up your online presence, the time is now!
You’re thinking maybe your website could use an update with that cool trending feature everyone’s talking about. Be careful with those – do you want trending or timeless when it comes to design? But that’s a whole other topic.
Before getting started on your search for that unicorn with web design expertise you’re looking for – take a look at this list of top 5 mistakes companies make when choosing a web designer. We want to make sure you don’t get burned down the line.
1. Wrong skill set for the job.
The most important thing you need to decide early on is exactly what you want to be done to your website before you begin looking for your designer. You want to make sure their skills match what you need to take inventory of what exactly you’re looking for.
What are your goals for your website?
For your business?
Do you just need a simple site or do you foresee needing eCommerce or a membership site in the near future?
Are you going to be building out your blog?
What is your budget?
Websites consist of the front-end (what you see) and the back-end (all of the coding, database, etc that makes the website function). It’s important to find a company that will make your site look good, function properly, and help you have an acceptable conversion rate.
2. There is an abundance of web designers but are they skilled enough to do the job?
The number of people calling themselves a website designer since 2020 has increased dramatically. Make sure you choose the right web designer for the job. Your website project will require a specific skill set and you’ll want to make sure your chosen web designer or developer has it.
Often, web design agencies will have several designers and developers on staff and can provide expertise in both areas but at an increased cost. So weigh up what works best for you. Regardless of which route you go, when discussing their web design process let them know how much functionality you need for your website so you are all on the same page.
Most web designers, web developers, and agencies will work with certain platforms and website builders (we use WordPress.org and Elementor Pro). Using these tools has made creating websites with lots of style and functionality super easy for website designers and less expensive for you. (yay!)
3. Requires payment in full or a large deposit.
This is a huge red flag. I’ve seen it in the construction industry, and yes, it happens in the web design industry too. Always investigate any digital marketing, social media management, or web design company you consider working with, regardless of the job, before you give them your money.
You want a quality website, right? And you undoubtedly want to make sure you choose the right website designer. So, ask them for references. Look at their website and social media reviews and content. Check out various review sites like Google or Yelp. Ask for examples of sites they’ve done and check out their portfolio.
Check them out on BBB.org to see if there are any complaints against the business owner or their web design business.
A good web designer doesn’t just build websites.
Good web designers build relationships and will have a list of sites and happy clients to share with you. Their clients should also be happy to gush over how awesome they were to work with.
4. The web designer doesn’t offer a period of time for Quality Assurance or ongoing support.
Have you ever taken your car in for a repair, only to have the issue happen again the next day? Well, your website is no less complicated. A legitimate web design company should offer ongoing support once your site has gone live.
If they aren’t upfront about their process, ask about it. Most projects will have various stages of design/development and end with a review and quality assurance period. With our Website in a Day offering, we don’t have various stages in our design process but we still offer a 30-day Quality Assurance period.
The last thing you want is to have your beautiful new website crash (or you find an error) after two days and have to pump more money into it.
5. Websites not built with SEO in mind.
Make sure your new site is optimized with Search Engine Optimization in mind. Having a beautiful new site is great, but if Google search or the other search engines can’t find you, you’re wasting your time and money. RankMath and Yoast SEO have made this a lot easier when building your site.
Choose the right web design company for your business online and you will save time, energy and heartache
Creating an effective website is no easy feat – it’s a journey and requires the right partner to make sure your vision comes to life!
To save you time, energy + heartache, avoid these five common web design mistakes: book me for a free web design consultation instead. Together we’ll get that ball rolling in the perfect direction with confidence.
