So, you’ve realized that your old website is hampering your business’s sales? Maybe it looks like a yellowing ‘80’s campervan with wing mirrors hanging off, driving around a city full of shining Bentleys? Or maybe you don’t have a website – yet? Perhaps you want to kickstart your exciting new business venture, but need to know how to navigate the seas of dodgy designers and the wild west of web design for your business? Well, read on, pioneers; this article is for you.
1. Work out what you want
First, you ought to decide what the objective of your new site is. Is it a sales platform? A brochure to showcase the services you offer? Or will customers be visiting to seek detailed information? Do you want your site to be an exhibition, or will the interaction be a crucial element? Is it important that users can connect, talk to each other, and have their own site profiles? Once you’ve pinpointed your objectives, you can decide on your scale. Will a simple six-page site be sufficient? Or do you need an extensive catalogue to showcase your business and products? Next you should decide on a budget and timescale for the project. Larger sites require more design hours and are therefore pricier. But remember, your website is an investment, not an expense.
2. Do your research
Now you know what you want, you can begin to research designers. General Google searches don’t bring up helpful results when searching for a web designer. One way of getting around this is to make your search specific by using search operators. For instance you can type into the search bar: web designer (site:linkedin.com | site:upwork.com). Another way of finding potential designers is to look up businesses that are similar to yours, browse their websites and shortlist the ones you find appealing. Some businesses will credit their designers in the footer, but with most you can contact the business to find out who designed their site. Once you have a list of designers, you can browse their individual portfolios and see what services they offer.
3. Consider the three routes
When choosing a web designer, you should be aware of the three main paths you can go down and the benefits and drawbacks of each. Freelancers are often the cheapest option and the most informal but may lack the people power of bigger design firms. You can find freelancers on sites like Fiverr and Upwork. The next option is a design agency. Design agencies will have a small team working on your project and often provide specific customisation and a quick turnaround. However, they can be more expensive than freelancers. If you want digital marketing services as well as web design for your business, your best bet is a full-service agency like Web Design Liverpool. Although full-service agencies are the most expensive option, the PPC advertising and SEO services they offer in addition to designing your site, will boost the site’s profile from the get-go and provide the most comprehensive in-house package of the three routes.
4. Get talking
Explain your needs to a few design candidates (the ideas you came up with in step one). Ask for their proposals and get excited when the right one comes in. Soon you’ll be driving a Bentley.
