How do you know which web designer to choose? How do ou know if the designer is good or bad?

Those of us who manage a web design company inhabit a busy, but creative space.  There are new studios and talented artists appearing all the time, and technology moves quickly.  A portfolio may be a good way to see how good a designer is, but it is only a part of the picture.

How can you tell if a web designer is any good or not?  If you’re looking to have some work done, website built or made over, the following tips will help you find the right designer.

First and foremost is how the designer is with you.  There is no better test than meeting face to face and having a discussion.  To decide if they are any good for you, or your ideas you need to answer some simple questions.  How was the experience of talking to them?  How much did they listen to your needs?  Did they instill you with confidence in their abilities?  Did they show you real life examples of their work.  Not locally hosted ones, but websites for companies that are live.

Web design is a collaborative process so you will have to work closely together while also leaving them alone to get on with their work.  To do that you need confidence in them.

A designer, and their studio as a whole is only as good as their results.  That’s what a client should be most interested in.  Budget and time constraints may be a factor, but they aren’t the most important.  If you don’t think a particular developer can make your vision a reality, move along.

Guarantees are also an important aspect of doing business.  Is the web developer or designer confident in their work?  Do they offer no quibble guarantees?  Any studio who wants to be successful has to have the ability to do what they say in order to survive.  Offering this kind of guarantee will give the client enough confidence to use their services.  After all, nobody wants to work for free.

Good studios will also offer a hosting package.  Even in a city like Naples, website hosting is big business, and often offered as a value-add to the client.  It is a good idea to take the option if it’s offered, at least for the first year.  That way any problems with the site can be quickly and easily addressed.  Having a site hosted on our own servers makes it easy to log on and fix anything that needs fixing.  It’s much quicker than trying to access someone else’s system and doing it from there anyway.

Working with a web designer or developer is a partnership.  You have to trust them to do what they say, and give them the space to do it.  Finding the right one for you is as important as any other business decision you make.  That choice can either cost you money or make you money.  We all know which one we would prefer.