Bay Area web designer
Article #1: Choosing a Bay Area Web Designer
First it is important to understand what a web designer is and is not.
A website designer helps you to determine the page layout, graphics, text location and colors of your site, as well as the navigation scheme. He or she may also build out the site once the design is approved, or may hire out that work to a programmer. Here at Bay Area Web Design all of our web designers have graphic design degrees and the ability to build out their creations themselves.
A website programmer typically takes the design from the designer and creates the code to make the site display on the Internet. The programmer is also responsible for adding any dynamic functionality such as a member database, or ecommerce site.
A graphic designer creates the look and feel of the site, including your logo and any other necessary graphics.
An SEO strategist helps you to determine how your website fits into your overall marketing strategy, and how to get more traffic to your site and then convert that traffic to sales.
If you're extremely fortunate you can get all four of these skills from the same person, but it's more likely that you would work with a team with team members that specialize in each discipline.
Who Is A Good Designer And How Much Do They Charge?
Here are some things to think and ask about when hiring a website designer:
Pay attention to how much they ask you about your business. It's only by gaining intimate knowledge of your business and it's customers that a web design firm can deliver an effective solution.
Ask to speak with references.
Look at the companies design portfolio to make sure they have the style and the demonstrated experience you are looking for.
Ask them if they did the actual graphic and layout design of the site as well as the programming, or if they outsource some portion of their projects.
Ask them if they have a structured planning process that leads you through the design phase. Bay Area Web Design uses a Website Planning Guide to make sure we don't miss anything.
Ask them what they know about internet marketing and search engine optimization. Be sure that they're creating a site for you that meets your larger marketing and business goals.
Ask them if they design to current web design standards (W3C)
Ask them whether they will maintain your site after the initial design, and how much they'll charge. We prefer to create content management systems for our client's sites that require frequent updates, but we are happy to do the updates for you if you don't have time.
Ask your designer for editable source files. You need to be assured that you will be able to edit your website (or have another designer edit your website) if you terminate your relationshp with the design firm.
Do you enjoy talking with the designer? Do you believe they'll act ethically? Do they stay focused to the task at hand, or do they ramble and waste your time talking about less relevant topics? Do they offer you invaluable insight and advice about your site design?
Tell each prospective website designer what your deadline is and ask if they can meet it. Most of our sites are completed within 4 to 6 weeks.
