If your looking to hire a web designer to build your website, chances are that is because you cannot do that yourself and lack the required knowledge. So how are you supposed to make a decision on whether your web designer is any good? We give you the key questions to ask before hiring...
We want to help you to make the right decision about your website. Yes, we would love it if you decided to use our services, but if you are using someone else, please make sure that they answer there questions:
1. What will you do to Search Engine Optimize my web site?
- Will each page have an individual Page Title, Description, Keywords and H1 tags?
- Can they provide proof of their competency? Look for high listings on specific keywords.
- Will pages be optimized for individual keywords to increase visibility?
- What services do they offer regarding 'SEO' after the site is built? (if 'none' that's fine, as long as you know!)
2. What do you do to ensure usability for the general public?
- Will your site be available on different internet browsers?
- Will the site be friendly to hand-held devices such as mobile phone and palm tops?
3. What do you do for Handicap accessibility?
If your designer look bemused you should be worried!
- Ask them what it is!
- Ask them how they consider handicap accessibility in their websites.
4. What happens with regards to updates?
Answers:
- "You can use Content Management (CMS) which allows you to make changes via a text editor." - Great! This mean you will be able to update the website yourself... Remember to ask about training...
- "You can edit with a bit of HTML coding" - not so good. If you don't understand code, this will prove to be a big problem for you!
- "We make updates at an additional cost." - BEWARE! If you wanted to change your site regularly you may be landed with lots of bills! Make sure you find out how much your developer charges per hour and maybe discuss a service level agreement.
5. Who will own my site when it's finished?
- What happens if the web designer goes out of business? Will someone else easily be able to take it over?
- Is my website on its own hosting? (beware of web farms typically characterised by bargain basement websites)
- Can I have a copy of my website once finished?
6. Can I see some examples of your work?
Make sure they have built a lot of websites. Don't be afraid to ask for links and even contact the website owners to check they are indeed the web designer of their site. This is also a good opportunity to ask how they found working with the designer.
7. How can I monitor my sites performance?
You should be able to get web stats showing how many people are visiting your website. You may be charged for this service. Consider using Google Analytics (free). A good designer should be able to set this up for you.
We hope this helps!
Anna