Although there are many professional and outstanding web and graphic designers in the world, you may come across a few mediocre workers, without even knowing it! Of course no web designer you meet will come out and say “Yeah, Um, I’m bad” so here are a few signs and warnings to look out for. If you notice any of these mentioned below, run as fast as you can, right into the arms of another designer.
They Don’t Research
The first step for any web designer is to ask, ask, and ask some more. If the designer doesn't take his or her time to learn about your business, examine it’s goals, and work with you to determine the answers to important questions, then he simply doesn't care. The typical way a web designer can start is by asking the client to complete a questionnaire. My most common web design project questionnaire can be found here. Some general questions a designer can ask are:
- What are your goals for this project?
- Will you require a content management system?
- What is your typical client like?
- Who are your biggest competitors?
They use Stock Photography
Great images are a vital aspect of a web design. Images like corporate groups of employees, a handshake, and a call center can take away your sense of professionalism. The only time stock images are fine is if the image is unique and different from the images used on hundreds of other websites. Stock images set the way for a ‘stock’ website.
They Don’t Live in the U.S.
Having a web designer from a different country may be cheap, but is it efficient? Imagine having to work around the schedule of a designer who’s 3am is your 3pm. On top of that having to work in different currencies, and not knowing if they even accept your preferred form of payment. The web design trends and technologies that are commonly used in the U.S. may be different or unavailable in other countries, making your web design project having a disadvantage from the start.
The Price is $150
A website can be built at the cost of $150, but will the web designer give your project their best attention? To build a website it takes time, resources, software, and a lot of hard work and commitment. Imagine the budget at your business was substantially reduced, important things would have to be cut, right? Like with all other things, you get what you pay for. If someone is offering a full web design for $150, there are a number of reasons why. Some of those reasons may include she’s not confident in her work skills, she’s using your website as a “guinea pig” to learn, the features and capabilities you expect will be compromised, or the designer is simply a scam artist.
Your Web Designer is YOU!
Very sorry to say, if your web designer is you, your web designer is terrible. You’re best at running your business and a web designer is best at building websites. Let everyone complete the tasks they are best at, and the outcome will be one you can adore.