Do You Know What To Look For In A Web Designer?
As one of the most popular and important pieces to your business, a website can often times make the difference between converting a vistor to a customer or losing out on a sale. Little do most of us know or research that the visual appearance and layout of our websites make a huge impression within literally seconds. Needless to say it's important to develop and design something that is user friendly, beautiful, and helpful in converting visitors into sales.
Perhaps the biggest problem is finding a web designer who is reliable and good at what they do. Often times it can be a lot like trying to find a good mechanic, you want someone who doesn't rip you off and provides the best service at the right price. The problem with finding a designer is there are a whole lot of people out there who do it (or say they can) but often times the price provided doesn't match the quality needed.
Like all professional relationships there is a lot of trust that needs to be built moving forward. Finding a web design and SEO company is a tedius process but here are some things to get that relationship off on the right foot.
Perhaps the biggest problem is finding a web designer who is reliable and good at what they do. Often times it can be a lot like trying to find a good mechanic, you want someone who doesn't rip you off and provides the best service at the right price. The problem with finding a designer is there are a whole lot of people out there who do it (or say they can) but often times the price provided doesn't match the quality needed.
Like all professional relationships there is a lot of trust that needs to be built moving forward. Finding a web design and SEO company is a tedius process but here are some things to get that relationship off on the right foot.
Owning Your Own Domain
In most circumstances business owners don't want the headache of having to worry about any aspects of their website. You want to be included with what's going on, how it's performing but some owners fall into the problem of ownership on some items if they choose to go a separate route with another designer. One of those such things is domain ownership. Some companies will handle registration, setup, maintenance, and renewal for you but because of this they will charge an arm and a leg should you choose to transfer to a different developer.
If you're worried about not having the technical knowledge there is no need for concern. All you have to do is simply register your .com name at a place like Namecheap and list yourself as the main contact and this typically will solve most problems. If you're not listed as the owner of the domain you could be asking for trouble and problems down the road.
Access To Your Web Server
Touching on the subject above, you may not have the technical knowledge to do a lot of the work on your website but it's important to own the properties of such. Just like the domain you should know how to access your webserver where the website is hosted. To many times in the past I've heard from clients that they don't what or how to access their web server because the last designer they worked with has went out of business. You don't need to open up the hood and dig around on your server (if you don't want) but you should still have the keys to do so. To many times owners are locked out of their sites and never regain them because there designer went out of business or perhaps left the country for an extended period of time.
It's important to have access to this so should that problem arise you're not left restarting. If it so happens and your website is still online try and copy as much content from your existing site as possible to backup. You may have luck trying to gain access to the server by contacting the hosting companies support but if you never set it up there is a good chance they won't give you access.
The good news is if you can copy the content and have access to the domain as mentioned you can do something like a simple 301 redirect which will help transfer all your existing visitors to your new website.
Over-reaching promises and expectations
The moment you hear your designer or marketer say "Ill get you to number one in Google in 7 days" you need to consider your options. Chances are they may provide some results but in the long run this type of pitch will cause more damage then good with search engines these days. Companies like Google are working harder and harder to find the right content and narrow and eliminate all web based spam used to influence rankings.
Now That That's Done Let's Find You A Web Designer
With your business secured for any future problems it's now time to narrow the field and find a designer. We want to not only find someone who works well with your business but also a reliable web developer who knows how to properly setup a website for search engine optimization. Finding the right SEO Services is just another piece of the puzzle but many designers don't know the intricate details and it's important to have both in this day and age. A properly optimized site will help secure better rankings in Google and ultimately help customers find your website easily.
When choosing a website designer we want to do our due diligence. Browse through their current portfolio and get a feel for their design and style. How do they look? Do they have positive reviews or testimonials from companies they've worked with? Where about is the company located?
For some designers and business owners being able to meet is the most important to secure the relationship. Having that luxury can help make things easier with questions, concerns and general thoughts and ideas.
Avoid Hiring Friends and Family...If They Aren't Professional
If you're looking to save a few dollars by hiring someone you know personally my best advice is to really think long and hard before you do. Becoming close with clients is a great part of being in a business and will help you in the long run but working with friends or family members could hurt your relationship with them. However if they own a business or are very professional then it may not be a bad idea.
Find Some Previous Clients
If you're still looking to get some more feedback before taking the plunge on a certain designer then don't hesitate to contact some of their previous clients. Simply picking up the phone or sending an email and asking for feedback can go along way to see how they are as a person or how they work. Don't ask for price as most companies won't give it to you and most designers will have a non disclosure saying they can't speak about it otherwise. Let's face it though, this is your business and it's important to understand that the more money you spend the better quality you'll get.
In most circumstances business owners don't want the headache of having to worry about any aspects of their website. You want to be included with what's going on, how it's performing but some owners fall into the problem of ownership on some items if they choose to go a separate route with another designer. One of those such things is domain ownership. Some companies will handle registration, setup, maintenance, and renewal for you but because of this they will charge an arm and a leg should you choose to transfer to a different developer.
If you're worried about not having the technical knowledge there is no need for concern. All you have to do is simply register your .com name at a place like Namecheap and list yourself as the main contact and this typically will solve most problems. If you're not listed as the owner of the domain you could be asking for trouble and problems down the road.
Access To Your Web Server
Touching on the subject above, you may not have the technical knowledge to do a lot of the work on your website but it's important to own the properties of such. Just like the domain you should know how to access your webserver where the website is hosted. To many times in the past I've heard from clients that they don't what or how to access their web server because the last designer they worked with has went out of business. You don't need to open up the hood and dig around on your server (if you don't want) but you should still have the keys to do so. To many times owners are locked out of their sites and never regain them because there designer went out of business or perhaps left the country for an extended period of time.
It's important to have access to this so should that problem arise you're not left restarting. If it so happens and your website is still online try and copy as much content from your existing site as possible to backup. You may have luck trying to gain access to the server by contacting the hosting companies support but if you never set it up there is a good chance they won't give you access.
The good news is if you can copy the content and have access to the domain as mentioned you can do something like a simple 301 redirect which will help transfer all your existing visitors to your new website.
Over-reaching promises and expectations
The moment you hear your designer or marketer say "Ill get you to number one in Google in 7 days" you need to consider your options. Chances are they may provide some results but in the long run this type of pitch will cause more damage then good with search engines these days. Companies like Google are working harder and harder to find the right content and narrow and eliminate all web based spam used to influence rankings.
Now That That's Done Let's Find You A Web Designer
With your business secured for any future problems it's now time to narrow the field and find a designer. We want to not only find someone who works well with your business but also a reliable web developer who knows how to properly setup a website for search engine optimization. Finding the right SEO Services is just another piece of the puzzle but many designers don't know the intricate details and it's important to have both in this day and age. A properly optimized site will help secure better rankings in Google and ultimately help customers find your website easily.
When choosing a website designer we want to do our due diligence. Browse through their current portfolio and get a feel for their design and style. How do they look? Do they have positive reviews or testimonials from companies they've worked with? Where about is the company located?
For some designers and business owners being able to meet is the most important to secure the relationship. Having that luxury can help make things easier with questions, concerns and general thoughts and ideas.
Avoid Hiring Friends and Family...If They Aren't Professional
If you're looking to save a few dollars by hiring someone you know personally my best advice is to really think long and hard before you do. Becoming close with clients is a great part of being in a business and will help you in the long run but working with friends or family members could hurt your relationship with them. However if they own a business or are very professional then it may not be a bad idea.
Find Some Previous Clients
If you're still looking to get some more feedback before taking the plunge on a certain designer then don't hesitate to contact some of their previous clients. Simply picking up the phone or sending an email and asking for feedback can go along way to see how they are as a person or how they work. Don't ask for price as most companies won't give it to you and most designers will have a non disclosure saying they can't speak about it otherwise. Let's face it though, this is your business and it's important to understand that the more money you spend the better quality you'll get.