I personally think that the number one thing to investigate is your prospective website designers ranking in Google. My reasoning here is Business Website Designs main job is to bring in business and new customers. A business website needs to rank extremely well to an effective marketing tool. The Internet is full of website designers that market themselves as business website designers, when in fact they are nothing more than graphic artists. Business website designers need to be proficient in SEO and Internet Marketing to be in a position to offer their clients a value in their services. If they are not a SEO expert, Business Website Designers need to have a SEO expert on staff to complement their website design services. Only in this way will their customers be getting a value in their new web design.
Back to checking out the prospective website designers ranking in Google, if their own Website does not rank well, why would you think he or she has the skills to bring value to the table when it comes to designing your website? How much will it cost you additionally to market your website if your website is not Search Engine Optimized?
For example do a Google search, let’s say “Portland OR Website Designer” If I were looking for a business website designer in Portland Oregon I would consider the top 8 designers in this search.
The next way I would suggest as a way to find a good Business Website Designer for business application would be to do a SEO search. Let’s say “Portland OR SEO” and see what is rendered. Are any of the top results for Portland OR SEO not only a SEO expert but also a Web Designer? Perhaps as a cross reference are any of the results for Portland Oregon SEO the same as Portland OR Website Designer? Now we are getting somewhere if there are!
As a Business Website Designer and SEO expert I am constantly amazed at the number of Website Designers that in addition call themselves SEO experts! Reading a few books or forums does not by any stretch of the imagination make you a SEO Professional.
Many a business owner has been led down the wrong road and wasted a great deal of money not only in hiring a website designer that knows nothing of Internet Marketing, but possibly hiring a SEO expert that does not have the experience to properly manage the SEO of a website.
In closing I just want to recount that properly investigating thoroughly prior to hiring a Website Designer will save you tons of money and time as far as marketing your Business Website on the Internet.
yes . i really love those guys. they know how to utilize knowledge to others. so let me know my strength. thanks.. .
One thing I can say I learned the hardway is not to go too cheap with your budget…you get what you pay for…and it shows everytime.
I actually disagree. I think that the best thing with a website designer is communication. You need a site that meets your business needs, so thus, it needs that personal touch. I recommend getting someone local who you can sit down with and actually design the site together. I think of a web designer as a tool for the business owner, rather than the one who makes all the decisions.
I actually need a designer for my blog, but I think I’ll hire one if I get richer in the future.
Web design and SEO go hand in hand. In my opinion you can have the best looking website in the world but if nobody can find it, what’s the point. It also works both ways: You may have a website that gets tons of traffic but if it has a bad design you will be losing out on sales.
… Justin – Big Click
I think you raised a very important point here, that SEO and web design should go hand in hand. I also agree that consumers should be more discerning when it comes to engaging companies for web design services
Nice tips, I usually look in free lance sites and forums for designers, so far so good. I guess I’ve been lucky so far in finding a good designer. 🙂
Nice tips, It is important that the web site is built with search engine optimization in mind from the very beginning, although you can acquire visitors from many different sources, being found in organic searches is still the most cost effective method of getting traffic.
Great tips. But it also helps if you have a friend who is a web designer. 😛
its gud to open own web designing buss. after having appropriate experience in it … coz i personally feels tht … knowin particular thing is diff. n havin gud experience in tht thing is diff.
I picked mine using one of the two best ways I know how. She left AWESOME comments on some posts I did looking for design help. The other is through personally recommendations from others I trust. Then i may go to Google and what not.
So far, I've been blessed. Personal recommendations have worked very well in whatever I've looked for. 🙂
I must disagree rather strongly in designers needing to ALSO be SEO experts. I think the split-focus will lead more often then not, to a "Jack-of-all-trades-master of none" and end up costing you in the long run. Having one on staff is OK assuming they have a staff. 😉
what B92BWA2Z4UVY does mean ? :/
about SEO, yes you are right 🙂
That was a verification code from Technorati :D… it took longer than I expected.. 🙁
yes, technorati has gone slower, i remember in the past, it was almost realtime…
about the designer, its always is a hard choice, lots of things are to be considered while you choose. I like to check the portfolios and then sometimes even contact one of their previous clients and see if he is really happy with the service. Its good to research, because i have faced worse in the past, some of those really come up with crappy work, missed deadlines, poor communication etc. so its always good to know how their past clients rates them…
Technorati verification is slower than a snail 😉
yea you are right bro, some do pretend as if they know all yet they are noobs when it comes to managing SEO mehn.. i need a SEO expert and a nice web designer!!!!!
After learning lots in web designing i started my web designing business and did some 10+ websites,,,, in future i will be in top of google,,, waiting for that day,,,,
Planning, running, and managing a Web design business or small business are the topics for the resources in this section, such as business planning and management, home office and small business tips, pricing your work, working with clients, recommended books, and more.
The other thing that can be done is to look into the website designers portfolio. This will give a person a better persepctive about the designer.