8 Common Mistakes when Hiring a Website Designer

Here are some of the most common mistakes people tend to make when hiring a professional web developer.

So many business waste hundreds and thousands of dollars on the wrong company to design their website. Don’t make the same mistakes as them. With a little research and awareness you can hire a great designer the first time and save a ton!

There is a lot to consider when hiring a designer, but you can easily avoid many of the major pitfalls. Here are 8 of the most common mistakes people make when hiring a website designer.

1. Paying too little

With websites, much like anything else, you get what you pay for. If you view a website as an expense you should minimize, you won’t see a lot of return from it. However, if you view it as an investment that will return more than you put in, the sky is the limit.

Almost all websites are intended to draw customers in and motivate them to take action. If you cut corners on cost in this area, your website may not resonate with your prospects. Ultimately, this leads to your product not ending up in the customer’s pocket.

2. Hiring a Giant design firm

This goes hand-in-hand with point number one. Many large design firms will promise you a great website at a prices lower than most market rates. These websites are as barebones as they come, though. In all likelihood, a website designed by these firms is just another standard template with colors mixed up to match your business. It will seem passable, but won’t evoke any excitement or wonder by your clients.

Worse yet, these large design firms are more impersonal, leading to a dreary editing process whenever you want to change something.

3. Paying too much

Website developers are effective, but they aren’t wizards. There is only so much a professional can do when designing a website. In fact, just about every website is some combination of CSS and HTML.

Fancy design firms try to trick clients into believing it website management is more complex than it really is. This allows them to upcharge for simple tasks under the guise of higher-quality.

Just because something costs more does not mean it is of a higher quality. Don’t get fooled into paying way more for a website when you don’t have to!

4. Hiring a pure designer

Most website designers are artists at heart. That is a great quality when they are designing your website, but having a visually appealing webpage isn’t the only goal.

Most websites exist to provoke some kind of action. A good website will be designed with a sales process in mind, which isn’t necessarily something a pure designer is equipped to do. When hiring a website developer, be sure your new business partner is experienced in creating an effective website.

5. Not getting a CMS

This is one of those mistakes that can frustrate a business owner to no end. A CMS, or Content Management System, is a cost-effective way to build website. Some owners believe a custom programmed website is better because it is more expensive. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

CMS-based websites allow greater control for business owners. If you want to change something on your website, a CMS allows you to do so whenever you would like. Uploading a photo or blog post takes little time, and your website manager can edit your content later to ensure it is optimized.

Examples of CMS’s are Word Press, Joomla, and Drupal.

Without CMS, you need to send every change in your website through your developer. Depending on their responsiveness, that could take days or even weeks and be very expensive.

6. Ignoring hidden fees

Hidden fees are nightmarish for business owners. The best way to avoid them is to be upfront and honest during the entire sales process. In addition, be sure to ask the developer if there are additional changes along the way. It’s best to know for sure if you will be billed for anything else along the way.

7. Hiring a firm not well-versed in SEO or Social Media

Website exposure is more competitive than ever. With that in mind, businesses need to employ up-to-date practices if they hope to succeed.

It should be a requirement, then, that your website designer has a strong background in Search Engine Optimization and Social Media campaigns.

8. Not considering security and maintenance of your website

Skimping on security measures is one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a business owner. A well-rounded design firm will not only create a website that is appealing to customers, but also one that is safe and secure from malicious hackers.

Save your time and money and hire the right designer the first time.