6 Tips for Hiring a Web Designer

If you are a small business person looking to hire a web designer here are some things you need to think about. Some are things you need to have thought out before you begin, some deal with finding the right person for the job.

1. Domain name. The domain name is the word after the www in your internet address. There is a cost for this.
2. Hosting. A web site needs a server, also called a hosting company, who charge you to serve or host your web site. The charge can vary from around $20 a month up into the hundreds of dollars a month depending on your site.
3. Content. You will have to provide the information that the designer puts in the website. This might be images, text, keyword ideas for search engine success or something else. You have to commit the time to put all this together.
4. A goal. You have to be clear about what you want the site to do and be. Why do you need the site? Be ready to communicate this to the designer so that the site can be created to achieve that goal.
5. A contract. Deal with someone who is a professional. Sign a contract. It gives both parties, you and the designer, a legal basis for doing business. Make sure you know how much you will be charged for the work. Some designers charge by the hour, some by the job. Many ask you to pay half or a third of the price upfront, so be prepared to do that. If you want changes after the original specifications are agreed to and the contract is signed, it may mean additional costs.
6. It’s business. You are doing business with someone. Don’t expect free services, such as examples of what the designer would do with your site before you’ll agree to hire them or before you pay them any money. Imagine that you own a women’s clothing store. Would youlet me walk into your store and ask for eight or ten dresses free so I can be sure I like the way they look, because if I did, then I might come back and really buy a dress from you?