Building a website can be difficult especially if you have no experience with website design or coding. However, if you just want to build a static website, there are tools out there that can help you out, such as “drag and drop” website builders (Squarespace), which make the building of a custom website much easier. You also have more advanced options such as WordPress, a content management system, that comes with a ton of pre-built themes and plug-ins. But, let’s say you want to build something more complex, or you would like to have a design that really stands out. In that situation, you want to work with a professional web designer, and in this article, we’re going to help you find the right one for the job.
The different types of website designers/developers
Website design and website development are often used interchangeably, but they do have slightly different meanings. Website design refers to the process of creating and integrating a visual design into a website build, and website development is used to generally describe the process of coding a website’s features and backend, rather than designing and implementing the front-end.
In an ideal situation, you want to find someone who is a generalist, i.e. good at graphic design, website design, and website development/coding. This might mean finding one person that is skilled in all these areas, or a team. It all depends on what team members you already have on hand and the skills that you are currently missing. If you have a good developer, you might just need to work with a graphic designer. This flexibility allows you to negotiate better when it comes to the development budget.
What type of website do you want to build?
As mentioned previously, for a simple website build, you can use a tool such as Squarespace, especially if you have an eye for graphic design. However, for a website that has a blog set up, a custom theme that is in tune with current design trends, and custom functionality, you will have to work with a design firm.
When determining the right website design for your business, it’s best to work out the details with your designer beforehand. At that point, he will be able to suggest ideas that will ultimately coalesce into a design document.
An online store will have a very different design process than a website developed for SEO and content marketing purposes, or a personal blog. The design document will outline the deliverables, color schemes, timeline, technologies that will be used (a content management system such as WordPress, programming languages such as JavaScript, or plug-ins such as Shopify), and even the websites that will be targeted later on for online marketing (social media, Medium, Facebook, etc.). With the requirements out of the way, the design firm will start working on the initial website build.
Finding the right designer for the job
In order to find the right company for your website design project, you will need to have a set of guidelines that will help you decide. To start, you will have to pick someone with the right technical skills. If you are looking to build your website in WordPress, the designer will need to be familiar with the CMS platform, along with languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP. The design firm will also need to be familiar with graphic design tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
In terms of soft skills, the whole website design project will go smoother if you can find someone that responds quickly and offers regular feedback. Excellent communication skills are a must for any designer if they are to properly understand your vision for the website. You also want to check out their portfolio to see what their website design skills look like in practice. If they have a lot of experience building websites and reviews from other clients, the project has a much higher chance of going smoothly.
Are you interested in building a website for your company?
Good website design can help set your company apart from competitors and attract new clients to your business. When combined with strong SEO and advertising platforms such as Google Ads, you can bring in a ton of new leads and convert them into paying customers. If you would like to know more about how we can help you design the right website for your company, contact us today with any questions you may have regarding our pricing and methodology.
