21 September 2011
Mark Palmer looks at the five things any client should consider when choosing a web designer or developer for a project.

Looking for a web designer to turn your online vision into reality can be a daunting prospect. Web design is one of the few areas of service which users still find confusing. Much of this is due to lack of technical knowledge on the clients part. Let's face it, if you knew how to build a website, you wouldn't be looking for a web designer. However, a large part of this confusion is also down to the industry itself and the way in which designers and developers offer their services.

In order to make this decision more straightforward, this article will look at 5 things which you need to consider when choosing your web designer.

1. Cost

The Grand-daddy of them all in terms of getting a website built. However, all is not as it seems. Web design and development is still a confusing area in terms of how much a website costs. It is still quite possible in the modern marketplace to get two quotes for the same project which differ by thousands of pounds. If you were buying a physical product for instance, the cost may vary between buying direct from the manufacturer or from a local supplier, however it would not be as dramatic as this.

The main piece of advice I can give here is that cheapest is not always best. If someone is quoting you £100 to build you a full e-commerce site integrated with Twitter and Facebook along with full content management then alarm bells should be ringing in your head. Conversely, be wary of those charging ridiculously high amounts. Get a selection of quotes and look at the mid-point. Then take into account the remaining 4 considerations below.

Ideally, you want to get a breakdown of the elements which make up the quote. Most designers and developers will give you a fixed price for a project based on an agreed scope prior to commencing the project.

2. Location

Working with a local designer is not essential, but it is very useful. Being able to sit down and communicate with the designer one on one, sketch out ideas on paper and just get a feel for their ability to meet your requirements is invaluable. From a designers perspective, being able to come to your business premises really gives us the ability to absorb the 'vibe' of your business. We can see the services you offer, the types of clients you have and get a feel for the design styles used elsewhere in the business. The web after all should match the overall brand.

3. Content Management

In the past, web designers have made a continued income from updating websites throughout their lifecycle. I've met many clients who were paying through the nose for simple updates to their sites. I have one client who was paying over £200 a month to a previous designer just to add text and a few images every month.

Any good designer or developer should suggest implementing a content management system from the outset of the project. These can range from the really involved CMS's such as Wordpress (http://www.wordpress.org) or Drupal (http://www.drupal.org) to simple, easy to implement CMS's such as Perch (http://grabaperch.com/) or CushyCMS (http://www.cushycms.com).

All of the above tools will allow you to edit content on your site as and when you require. You won't necessarily be able to edit everything (your developer should let you know what you can and can't edit in the template) but it will cut down your ongoing maintenance costs dramatically.

4. Previous work and recommendations

Designers and developers are best judged by their previous work and their relationship with their clients. Any developers site should have a good portfolio, including screenshots, links to live sites and client feedback. This site, Which Web Design Company (http://www.whichwebdesigncompany.com) is a great resource for reading actual client reviews of designers and developers.

If a designer does not have their portfolio available on the site, it's worth asking why. Do they have no experience or previous clients, or are they hiding bad work or feedback.

5. Timescales

Timescales are important to both you as the client and the designer. Any good designer should be able to give you an idea of timescales. As the client, you should be aware that these timescales are dependant on you to a great extent. Even the best web designer cannot and should not be creating the content for your website. They don't know your business like you do. Agree timescales between yourself and the designer, ensuring that each of you know who needs to send what to whom by when. Agree this also in writing (by email) so that you both have a record of this 'project plan'.

The above points are not exhaustive, however from my lengthy experience in the industry I would say that if you address these questions then the process of choosing a designer will be less fraught with difficulty and confusion.