How You Can Get The Best From Your Web Designer
You know what a web designer is, right? Of course you do. He’s that nerdy guy who put together your web site. But do you know how you can get the best out of him?
Here are some tricks and tips to be aware of, for when you next need a wee tweak. Before it turns into a 2 week nightmare!
-: Know What Type He Is.
Some designers are newbies. They’ll offer you a cheap deal so they can add to their portfolio. This is fine. He still ought to have some sites of his own that he can show you.
Some designers are pros. They have an extensive portfolio and are confident what their work is worth. They have limited companies and pay taxes, so they charge more.
Either of these is fine. You can get good design from them. You get what you pay for as long as you do your research first.
Then there are the crooks. They say “Yes, yes” to whatever you suggest. They get a deposit upfront. They do the job up to a point, then stop replying to your emails.
Why?
Because they’re incompetent. Or they make a living cheating people. Or they realise they’re not capable of completing the job.
So you pay 5k for a site that is only half-done. How to avoid this?
-: Specify In Detail, In Advance.
You need to be as clear as possible. Put to paper everything that you can think of. Then refine it. Re-order the priorities. Then edit it for succinctness and clarity. Make it simple to read and understand. _Hone_ that thing!
Only then, email it. This way, your designer can’t say you’re asking for things that weren’t in the deal. He knows precisely what you want and so do you.
The opposite of this is to say: “I want a site like such-and-such dot-com”. Or “Can you make me an XYZ industry site?” To which the reply is “Yes, certainly!”. Except you don’t like the results. Because the site doesn’t look like you imagined.
Why?
Because your spec is still in your mind instead of where it should be: on paper!
Cue wailing and gnashing of teeth. For you have entered ‘development hell’. This is the pit where medium-skilled designers meet complacent clients, to work on ‘The Next Big Thing On The Internet’. The horror, the horror!
-: Pay In Stages.
A designer shouldn’t charge a lot up front. You can pay a deposit. Using a credit card might be an idea for this. You might instigate a charge-back if the initial work is poor. However, this means the web designer keeps his work; you can’t then use it in any way.
Pay a deposit up front, another wodge or two during the course of the work, then the rest upon completion.
-: Keep Communicating All The Time.
Keep talking to your designer. Don’t let him run off on a tangent. The internet is a road with many byways. There are lots of glittering toys you can fiddle with which divert your attention. Both of you ought to keep your ‘eyes on the prize’: making a fat profit from your website.
Want to read more? Go to http://www.hireawebdesignerlondon.co.uk and then give Tommy a call. Tommy offers a webmaster service from London, Great Britain. He has 12 year’s experience in commissioning websites, software and services.
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