You’re in the process of starting a new website or sprucing up your existing one and need to find a website designer who ticks all the boxes.
There are so many great web designers and developers out there, so how do you choose? We recommend ruling out the ones who just can’t give you what you need.
So, how do you know if the website designer you would like to hire sucks or not? Here are 5 Telltale Signs Your Web Designer Sucks:
They’re the cheapest you can find
Who doesn’t love a good bargain? Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for keeping costs down and saving some cash. But when it comes to web design, unless you’ve found some oddly generous designer who just feels like doing favours, a quote a fraction of all the rest may be a red flag. A complete custom build for $200 that you found on Gumtree? Not going to happen. Forgive us for having our doubts, but we’re getting a sense of ‘too good to be true’ here!
Designing a website is a time consuming process, and people who know what they’re doing will charge you what their time is worth. We can say with almost full certainty, that someone charging a ridiculously low price is either using you as guinea pig for practice, very new to the industry or lacking in skill and experience. Remember, a website is an investment.
They don’t ask questions
There’s no perfect one-size-fits-all approach to creating a website. Your web designer needs to know and truly understand what it is that you want and need, and to do so, they need to ask you questions! If you’re working with a good web designer, you should expect to answering lots of questions, particularly before any work takes place. They should want to have a thorough understanding of your business, your branding, your customer and your competitors, because if they don’t, how can you expect them to create something that properly reflects your business?
Example questions:
- What is the purpose of your website?
- What are the primary goals for your website?
- Who is your target audience?
- Describe your typical client.
- Do you have brand guidelines?
- Do you have a content writer available?
- What assets can you provide? (content, images, branding material)
Their own site sucks
This point really speaks for itself, but it’s important nonetheless! If you’re looking to hire a web designer and you land on a truly terrible website, let that be an immediate red flag. A designers site should act as a representation of their skill and ability, so take some time to look around. Even if something’s pretty from face value, there could well be shortcomings in the finer (but no less important) details.
Take some time to look at the site from top to bottom, note element of design, layout and branding. Look for flaws, look for errors and points of mediocrity. Is it on par with the quality that you want for your own site? If not, we suggest you keep looking.
They have no copywriting solution
In all fairness, not all web development companies will offer copywriting as part of their service, and that’s completely okay. However, a website can’t go live without content – so they should at least be able to provide you with a copywriting solution. As anyone working in web development would know, creating content is one of the main causes for delays during the website building process. Good web designers will be well prepared with a solution, and be informing you of this as part of your first discussions.
Possible copywriting solutions:
- Web designer offers an internal copywriter
- Web designer offers an external copywriter
- Client hires an external copywriter
- Client writes all content (this takes time!)
They don’t give you access to your site
For the purpose of charging for nitpicky changes or unnecessary maintenance cost, some web designers refuse to set sites free for clients manage or edit their own sites. Some companies will make it impossible for clients access their CMS dashboards, add or edit content, or even withhold administrative rights. When you pay for a site, that site belongs to you! If you’re denied access or control, you’re dealing with a dud.
Conclusion
A professionally designed website is an important investment for any business, so it needs to be done right. At Lethal, we stress the importance of being picky when it comes to selecting a designer. Ask good questions, don’t think with your wallet, and conduct solid research. Are you looking for a website designer in Perth? Well we’re pretty confident that we don’t suck! Decide for yourself, we’re ready to answer your questions: https://www.lethal.com.au/
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