Get Clients, by Choosing the Right Web Designer

Picking a designer for your business website can be a daunting task. Many of us don't know much about computer programming or graphic design and feel intimidated when shopping around for a designer.  There is nothing to fear with a little research and some knowledge.
 
Ask around, get referrals, search the web and come up with a list of designers to check out. Look at the web designer's portfolio. Every designer has their own style and you will see if that style fits your taste.
 
Once you find a few designers you like, it's time to dig a bit deeper than the looks. A website is not just about form, but also about function. When you find designers that have a good style, find out if they can make a stylish website that works. 
 
What do I mean by "Works"? Choose a designer who understands how to design a site that makes visitors TAKE ACTION. Your web designer needs to understand the fundamentals of business marketing, to design a site that will push visitors in to doing what you want (signing up for your newsletter, downloading a white paper, contacting you).
 
There are very talented oil painters in the world there that most people have never heard of. Why? They spend all their time in paint and canvas and no time on marketing. Don't forget your goal. Your goal is to get clients and build your business. A website filled with pretty pictures is worthless, but a website made for marketing will do wonders in attracting clients. Your website needs to build your business. That is what's important.
 
Find out how the designer develops a project. Their development process needs to include

• Discovery - The time you spend identifying the purpose of the website (in other words, what you want the visitors to DO on your website) and the features of the website, such a blog, content management system, etc.
• Information Architecture - A map (it can look like a family tree) that details out every single page of your website.
• Graphical User Interface sometimes also called a GUI (pronounced gooey) - This is a sketch of your site, without the pretty pictures. It will allow you and the designer to lay out the site to maximize your call to action.
• Design and Programming - This is where the programming and design comes in. It's time for pretty pictures!
• Testing - You need to make sure your website works.

Your designer needs to work closely with you to learn about the goals you have for the company. This sounds like a big process and it is. But creating a successful website for your business is worth it. 
 
At the end of the design process you should own all copyrights and files. You are paying a designer for their design work. Just like you still own your car after you take it to the mechanic, you should own everything from your website after its design. Ownership also goes all the way down to your domain name. You should own the domain name. You can purchase that even before you contact a designer.
 
Keeping control of your site is important. There may be times when you need professional help if your site needs redesign or something serious, but you should be able to go in and update the content on your site whenever you want without having to pay the designer to do it. Make sure your designer uses a Content Management System (CMS), so that you can control updates.
 
Most web designers will offer multiple services. They can design the site, put on content, and design your logo. Make sure they know about SEO before letting them write content. Make sure they understand logo design before designing a logo. You might have to contract separate professionals for these jobs.
 
There are a lot of great web designers out there. Spend the necessary time to find a website designer who understands marketing.