How to hire the right web design firm: Part 1
I can’t tell you how many stories I have heard about people getting burned or ripped off by their web designer. Most business owners don’t know what they don’t know about web marketing and end up handing a crucial part of their company’s marketing campaign over to a potentially harmful third party. How do you navigate the online minefield? Having worked with many companies through this process, here are some insider tips.
Only work with a design firm that understands marketing.
This is the most valuable piece of wisdom I can give you, and will save you months of time and thousands of dollars if you take it to heart. A lady I met with recently dropped $8,000 on a website that had copious marketing flaws; this expensive mistake did nothing of what it needed to for converting web traffic to closed sales. There is no way around it: your website is marketing your company and you should only work with a designer who understands how to give you a crucial part of your marketing campaign - not just a website. Find out going in how much your web designer knows about marketing principals, and if they keep up with the research on the ever evolving online marketplace. Their understanding and skill in this area determines if they can give you the product worth paying for.
Most design firms fall into one of two categories: code monkeys or photoshop gurus. They either know the markup or graphics well; a few even know both. Rarely do they employ marketer’s skills like information architecture or web usability research. These are CRUCIAL for your website even being worth the price of a cup of coffee. These marketer’s skills will influence countless design and layout decisions as well as provide the foundation for the user experience on your site.
Be forewarned, it will cost more to have a marketing savvy site developed, but it should pay for itself over time. You are investing in your marketing infrastructure, not shelling out money on a liability if you choose your designer well. Understanding web development as an investment in your company, and working with a web developer who knows how to build this is crucial and worth every penny.
Don’t go with the cheapest option just because its cheaper.
Going with the bargain-basement designer is like buying the cheapest parachute you can find. Your web marketing is essential to a successful business, and cutting corners on your designer can have disastrous consequences. If you go with the bargan options, dont expect them to work well. If they are cheap, most likely their product and customer care is too.
Beware cheap or free options. Paying for quality is worth it.
Cheap or free alternatives will rarely pan out how you want them to. To get something done right, pay someone well to make it happen. A client of mine specifically wanted to work with me, knowing she had a free alternative, because I would be financially incented to do a good job on time and on budget. She had power in the design process because she was the one writing the checks. Favors are hardly enforceable and quality will suffer unless someone is being compensated fairly. Cheaper alternatives will not focus on client satisfaction and quality because they aren’t being paid enough to care.
Get clear outlines of deliverables and price.
Some designers lowball the project to get you on board and then surprise you with extra costs during the development. These hidden costs often end up making the project cost as much or more than their competition for an inferior product. Truth in advertising should apply to proposals. To protect yourself, get a contract in writing that outlines the deliverables on your end and theirs with clear costs and timeframes for the line items on the project. Clearly defining what you are getting and what it costs up front should be standard practice for your designer if they are worth hiring. Paying more for up front for this clarity will often save you money in the course of the project.
Coming soon…Part 2: 3 crucial questions to ask your designer before hiring them.