Choosing the Right Website
Designer
by Janice Byer, CCVA, MVA
Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services
You've
made up your mind. You want to have a website to represent your business.
The next decision to be made . . . who should you hire to develop your
site?
There
are many people capable of building their own personal sites. They can put
cute little comments and pictures of their pets or kids up for you to
enjoy. But, when it comes to having a website that will be a form of
marketing for your business, you want someone with experience. Someone who
has an understanding of the Internet and what is the best way to boost the
exposure of a website.
They
must have a clear knowledge of a variety of contributing factors to your
sites' success. Such factors include how best to market your site, the
options and limitations of graphics, how to create a site that is
effective within search engines, knowledge of the drawbacks of different
browsers, and the understanding of the coding required for your site.
It
is crucial that your designer understands you, your company and what you
want to accomplish with your website. To determine this, you need to
answer a few questions first.
What
do you want on your website? What is the desired outcome of your site? Is
your designer open to your ideas and provides input and suggestions for
improvement? Have you checked out your competition or other websites to
get ideas of what is the 'norm' for a successful site? The more
information you have prior to starting a website, the more accurately you
can communicate with your designer and get the desired outcome that
produces the best results.
Creating
a website can be an overwhelming experience. You need to ensure that your
designer is easy to talk to and keeps you updated on your sites' progress.
If you have questions . . . ask! After all this is your site and you have
a right to know how it is coming along and in terms that you can
understand.
You
also need to check out websites that your designer has made in the past.
Check to see that the graphics load quickly, that it is easy to navigate
between the pages, and that overall you like their style.
Finally,
the cost! This is a very important factor for small business owners when
deciding on a website designer. Larger companies will charge more and can
probably make your site very elaborate. If you need a site filled with all
the bells and whistles, you will be paying for it. If you simply need a
site that is a background of your company and the products or services
that you provide, the cost will be considerably lower and you can use a
smaller company or independent designer.
Your
website is going to be a 24-hour advertisement for your company. Skimping
on any of the above listed factors will have an effect on the final result
of your website and the outcome that you want from it. Do your research
and you can join other successful businesses who are using the Internet to
boost their exposure and their revenue.
We
have written a 12 page ebook on choosing the right web designer that we
invite you to download at http://www.docutype.net/business_ebooks.htm.
It provides you an abundance of additional information to help you make
the right choice.