Hire A Web Designer

For many modern businesses, a website is more than just a piece of internet real estate. Rather, it’s a crucial tool that helps companies not only thrive but also stand out from the crowd. It helps with brand recognition, improving sales, and generating leads.

These days, however, it’s not enough to just say that you have a website. Your business website has to be well-designed because it affects the way your audience perceives your brand.

Often, the way your website is designed can mean the difference between a customer staying on your page and learning more about your business and them leaving to turn to one of your competitors.

However, not many business owners are equipped with the skills to create a well-designed website. Sometimes, even if you do have the tools and know-how at your disposal, you simply don’t have the time to design a website yourself.

The good news is you can always hire a web designer to give yourself and your business a competitive advantage.

Here are some of the things you need to know when hiring a web designer.

What Does a Web Designer Do

A web designer is generally responsible for creating the design and layout of a website or of web pages. They can either work on a brand new website or update an existing one. Some of their tasks may include any or all of the following:

• creating website designs
• producing sample sites
• meeting with clients to discuss requirements and/or project progress
• demonstrating and receiving feedback about draft sites
• keeping up to date with recent technological and software developments
• developing skills and expertise in appropriate software/programming languages such as HTML and JavaScript
• creating products that are user-friendly, effective and appealing
• digital retouching and image editing
• working as part of a multidisciplinary team

There are three aspects of web design that a web designer can focus on. This includes user experience (UX) design, user interface design (UI), and visual design.

UX design helps keep visitors hooked to a website. It ensures that the company delivers a product or service that meets the needs of the customer and allows them to seamlessly achieve their desired outcome. It is based on thorough market research and aims to address your customers’ needs and pain points.

On the other hand, UI design involved translating a brand’s ideas and values into a website that is both enjoyable and easy to navigate. It focuses on the look and feel of a website.

Finally, visual design is a combination of UX and UI. A web designer who focuses on visual design aims to improve a user’s journey through their creativity while also solving design issues.

How to Find a Web Designer

Whether you’re scouting for a web designer who can build a website from scratch or you’re looking for someone who can revamp your existing assets, there are various platforms you can use to find the right person you can work with.

For starters, you can use a freelancer marketplace like FreeUp where you can gain access to top talent quickly without sign up or monthly fees.

Simply create a free account to join the FreeUp to start requesting for the exact freelancer you need. In as short as one business day, you’ll meet a pre-vetted web designer with the right skills, qualifications, and experience.

Alternatively, you can also find web designers through:

• Holding a bidding or competition in crowdsourcing platforms
• Posting a notice on your website and on your social media
• Asking for referrals from your network
• Finding professionals on LinkedIn

How to Hire a Web Designer

Hiring a professional web designer ensures that your website is built and maintained using the latest technology. Furthermore, you can be sure that your website is easy to understand, enjoyable to navigate, and visually appealing.

Here are some things you need to keep in mind when you hire a web designer for your company:

Review Their Portfolio

As a creative professional, a smart web designer will have a collection of their past work ready for you to peruse. Their portfolio lets you see what they can do and how they adapt to the evolving trends in the world of website design.

Ask for References

The truth is a great portfolio only tells you half of the story. Before deciding on hiring a candidate, be sure to talk to references to get a sense of how he or she works. You’ll learn a lot about a freelancer by talking with people he or she have previously worked with including clients, former project managers, and their colleagues.

Ask How They Treat User Data

If you’re looking for a UX designer in particular, you need to know how a designer gathers and treats the data he or she gathers from his or her work. Do they use heat maps, video tracking, or similar tools? Ask about how they use user insight in their designs.

Look for the Right Skills

The truth is not all web designers are created equal and you’ll likely come across exceptional ones as you search the right match. But while different designers have different skills, there are universal things you need to look for. This includes communications skills, a firm understanding of SEO and content management systems, an understanding of design concepts, a good grasp of your business goals, and the ability to use tools for web design.

Give Them a Test Assignment

When you feel like you’ve found the ideal candidate, it is important to see firsthand how a web designer approaches a project. Before letting a web designer work on your big projects, start with a small and non-critical project first. This will let you observe them in action and see how they resolve conflicts that they encounter.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Web Designer

Web designers typically charge about $75 per hour. A business website could potentially cost between $5,000 and $10,000, with $6,760 being the average cost to set up, design, build and create content for a basic website.