4 things to consider before hiring a web designer

So you’re in the market for a web designer?

We web designers each have our own style and way of working. And you, as a biz owner, have your own style and preferred way of working too. So, before you jump into partnership together, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re a match (kinda like online dating, ha!)

Here’s some helpful tips and questions to ask your chosen designer before you sign on the dotted line.

01 // Creative Style

Like any artist or creative, we designers each have our own style. Yes, we do build your website to your brand and biz requirements but if you look closely at our projects, they will contain the same kind of structure, layouts and essence again and again.

Have you checked out your chosen designers portfolio?

And their Instagram feed? Signed up to their mailing list?

Do you feel a resonance with the project examples in their portfolio and the style in which they design?

How I do it:

My design philosophy follows the principals of kindness, minimalism and sustainability. I’m not a fan of lots of animation or scrolling things everywhere as this is suuuuuuper distracting for your audience (who, in this day and age, are probably already overwhelmed). My philosophy is about creating a highly functional and beautiful website that is going to lead your perfect people on a natural, calm and easeful journey to explore and engage with you. This is how you get long-lasting return on your website investment. In a world of information overwhelm, I deeply believe, calm and thoughtful web design – that eliminates distractions and encourages curiosity – is your point of difference.

See examples of my work over this way.

02 // Work style

How does your designer prefer to work and run their biz? Do they follow a carefully laid out process with key dates? Or are they more of the flexible and fluid kind? Do they communicate via email? Or are they happy to be on call and pick up the phone anytime? Neither one way is better than the other. But, the way your designer works needs to complement the way you like to work. Are you a match?

How I do it:

With 70+ one week websites under my belt, let’s just say, the process we follow is pretty slick and very successful. We have defined key dates and timelines that we both agree to upfront. We have regular zoom check in calls throughout our journey together. And I prefer email comms so I can keep track of any decisions we make, ensuring I deliver all the goods for you.

03 // Technical knowledge

Creating a website is so much more than just making something look pretty. An experienced designer is also thinking about website best practices and strategy, how to present your content in the most effective way, the pathway you want your visitors to take through your site and the experience they’ll have with using it, mobile device optimisation, search engine optimisation, laying content out so that it’s easy to read and naturally draws the eye to the most important things and most importantly, ensuring the site functions correctly technically.

How I do it:

From my 15+ years of experience in systems design and almost a decade of experience working with female entrepreneurs, I know what it takes to create an online presence that gets found, recognised, remembered and results. Surrounding and supporting me is a crew of hugely talented women, each specialising in areas such as copywriting, branding, SEO, marketing and photography. My websites are powerful collaborations with these specialists to bring together a website that will elevate your message and get it seen by the people who need it the most.

04 // Support and training

It’s not just about creating the website… you have to be able to maintain your website too as your biz grows. Does your designer train you in how to use your site? Do they offer some kind of support service? Have you checked that you’ll actually be able to update your website yourself after it’s built? Or will your website be so heavily coded that you are up for hefty support fees just for minor adjustments ? How easy to use is your website actually going to be? Find out support fees up front and even request video walkthroughs or examples of what you can expect when the site is yours.

How I do it:

I empower you with the right tools to manage your website and update it yourself without having to rely on costly developers for little changes. This ensures the website is sustainable and grows with you as your business grows. I achieve this through my unique design and coding methodology combined with the Squarespace website platform - which is super easy and intuitive to use. And all my packages come with instructional step-by-step training videos on how to use your website, plus email support too.

About to embark on a new website project?

Grab yourself a copy of The Website Creation companion which will guide you through the essential ingredients that are needed to make your website stand out and become the truly valuable marketing asset it needs to be.