onthevirg

This list is aimed at people who are embarking on their first website ( or who are otherwise inexperienced about the web design process) and who are thinking of hiring a freelance web designer. Hopefully these tips will save time, money and aggravation for all concerned and  some wear and tear on web designers.

1. Know what you want

Do some checking around and find websites that you like – examples are very helpful for designers to get a sense of what you want. Also know what type of website that you want, if you are setting up an online store your needs will be very different than someone who is looking to set up a community site, forum site or a blog.

2. Do the groundwork first

If you want to have your own website with your own domain, you will need to register a domain name (i.e. mysite.com) and purchase a hosting package. (There is free hosting but you will also have ads from the hosting provider on your site as well so this is not recommended if you want a professional look.)There are a lot of companies out there that provide both services and it is easier for you if you find one that will register your domain and set up a hosting package for you. Googling web hosting and your locality will yield several viable options to check out.

There are plenty of inexpensive hosting options, if you need more services i.e. Ecommerce then the price will go up. Don’t expect designers to know all the ins and outs of web hosting and technical requirements. Most web designers focus on the content and design of the website, not the technical end of things so it is better to phone around and ask the people at the hosting companies.

3. Listen to their advice

When the designer advises you that something simply will not work or not look good on the site, please listen, there is a reason why they are telling you this – it will save so much work and hassle down the road.

4. You want your site done ASAP so try and pay your web designer within a reasonable amount of time

Most designers want to finish their sites as soon as possible so the client can get up and running and they can get paid accordingly.  When we have to wait for an inordinately long time to receive payment, it is very frustrating after putting in hours of work on a website or project.

5. Avoid the dreaded scope creep

A little bit here and a little bit there, sneaking in a few extra details and before you know it, your simple little site has grown into an unwieldy monster, not quite what was in mind originally. Most designers make up a quote based on your requirements and expect to abide by it and also for you to abide by it. Adding on unanticipated and extra items only delays the job and puts pressure on the designer as well as acting in bad faith.

6. if you want to maintain the site yourself, then do it yourself

Unless you are willing to learn HTML, CSS, scripts and other technologies, you are better off getting someone to update and maintain your site. Your other option is to use a do-it-yourself website builder that provides templates and totally automates the process i.e. Yahoo Site Builder. You don’t have much control over the appearance but it enables people who don’t know HTML or coding to produce a workable site. The other option is to use a web authoring program such as Dreamweaver that will design pages and produce sophisticated sites. You will have to learn how to use the program so that may take additional time and investment but may be worth it if you plan on having the site for awhile.

Many web designers hand code or do not use web authoring programs so it doesn’t usually work too well when the client wants to update the site themselves as they usually are not familiar with the design of the site.

7. Why can’t anyone find my site?

Probably because it was never submitted to the search engines and directories, because the site is not optimized, because you don’t have any incoming links and so on and so forth. Traffic doesn’t magically appear. Make sure you ask your designer about SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

8. Don’t try to penny pinch at the designer’s expense

We all try and get the best deal for our dollar but if you either don’t want or can’t pay for a professionally designed website then you are better off with a do-it-yourself site and free hosting. There are many freelancers out there offering affordable fair prices and also smaller companies that offer inexpensive packages – do some research first.  Before you start, determine what you need and what you can afford -  don’t forget that hosting and domain registration cost as well.

9. Don’t expect the designer to do all the work

It’s your website, so you have to take the time to decide what you want the world to see on your web pages. Try to have any content, photos or write-ups, text, etc ready for the designer. They can make suggestions and improvements but it is up to you to determine the direction of the site. Also try to keep your site updated, if you haven’t changed anything in 3 years, don’t blame the designer if it looks outdated! They can’t arbitrarily make the changes; the impetus has to come from you – the website owner!

10. We want you to succeed – really

Designers are proud to see the results of their work on the web and for clients to be happy with the results. Much of the process of design is working together to achieve a common goal – a usable, accessible website, that is esthetically pleasing and serves the purpose e.g. running an online business, providing information or entertaining.