If you ever need a website for your business, then a web designer is the person to hire. In today’s world of digital transformation, being a business owner, and not owning a website is a mistake to avoid.
That’s because the internet offers every business the chance to explore another venue; a venue that is far more commonly used than anything else.
On average, people spend up to 4 hours of their time on the internet. And what do they do? They watch videos, surf, and they might be interested in doing business with you.
But how would they find you if you don’t have a website? This is exactly why you need to hire a web designer. But like most hiring gigs, there are a few mistakes to avoid during the process.
In this article, we are going to tell you all about those 5 common mistakes.
1. Paying Too Little
Paying too little is a mistake that every business owner makes whenever they decide to hire a web designer. That’s because designers know their value and they will rarely work for anything but that value.
So, when ten designers reject you because you offer them far too little than what they expect, you’ll turn your attention towards hiring people with significantly worse quality.
But this is only one side of the table. Sometimes, you’ll find a sweet deal online that’ll build you a website for $500. This, by all means, sounds excellent and is definitely worth the price.
But what about the level of service you’ll be getting? Do you really think that the website will look good or be fully functional if you pay $500?
Well, I guess it depends on the type of website, but even blogs need to run properly. So, instead of paying too little for bad service, why don’t you pay the amount the designer asks?
2. Not Asking For Their Portfolio
You’ll quickly realize that every mistake on this list is connected with the previous one.
And that’s why you should never pay what the designer asks before asking for their portfolio.
Experienced and professional web designers will always attach their CV or their online portfolio. This is how they freelance and clients in the real world.
A designer’s portfolio is their bread and butter. A person will rarely hire anyone based on word of mouth, and that’s something you shouldn’t do as well.
So, whenever you’re being approached by a couple of potential web designers, make sure to ask for their portfolios to see their level of work and expertise.
3. Paying Too Much
Sometimes you have a huge budget and you want the best website. You want to be the coolest guy with the coolest website. Don’t get us wrong, have a modern website that meets the standards of the current design trends is great and all, but you should be wary as to how much you’re paying.
You might think that building such a website costs significantly more than an ordinary one. And while it does, to some degree, always know how much you should be paying and never overpay.
On average, websites can cost anything from $1,000 to $25,000. But the only way for you to avoid this mistake is to know the value of your website.
If you need an eCommerce store, then you’ll pay more money. But if you need a blog, then don’t expect to pay $10,000.
Web design firms, such as S9, will give you a quote before moving further with negotiations. They will also talk extensively on the subjects of capabilities and features so they can formulate a price.
Never settle for what a designer asks and always ask for them to elaborate on why you’re paying a certain amount.
4. Website Maintenance
Oh boy, where do we begin with this one? Website maintenance is probably the most important aspect when owning a website. That’s because it involves security, maintenance, and updating your website.
People charge a lot of money just to maintain websites, and for good reasons. Namely, every business that owns a website will at some point need to change things up.
But if they have no idea how to do it, then they’ll have to either call the designer back or hire another one.
When in this situation, it’s always better to negotiate for annual website maintenance with the person that’s built your website. Why is this better? Well, that’s because the person knows the ins and outs of their code.
They know how to access and style each heading and each div element. But not only that, they know how to fix any potential problems with the code because they’ve written it. While others will also know the answer to the issue, it’s safe to say that it will be significantly more time-consuming.
So, if you want to avoid a very costly and time-consuming mistake, make sure to always negotiate a fee for future maintenance gigs with your designer.
5. Not Educating Yourself On the Subject Of Search Engine Optimization
Short for SEO, search engine optimization is very important for any business that wishes to market themselves on the internet. SEO is a practice that allows people to find you when browsing the online world.
It involves the use of keywords and keyphrases whenever on Google or any other search engine. Every website absolutely must use SEO as it is the only way to naturally and organically attract traffic to your website.
While there are other ways for people to find out about you, this is the least expensive one. SEO might sound very strange to you, but it is one of the most important aspects of being a business owner online.
Whenever hiring a web designer, ask whether or not they’re knowledgeable in search engine optimization. One thing to keep in mind though, a good SEO job on your site will cost you a lot of money.
So don’t expect to come off cheap.
