Some web designers come from a programming background, with a high level of skill and expertise that will ensure that your company's website is robust, efficient and works like a well-oiled machine. This can be quite a problem if you're looking for someone to design your business website.
Web designers come from all walks of life,
and have many and varied backgrounds, which make them quite an interesting bunch. However, the kind of interesting I mean is a little like a pick'n'mix bag of candy - it's interesting because you never really know what you're going to get. This can be quite a problem if you're looking for someone to design your business website.
Some web designers come from a programming background, with a high level of skill and expertise that will ensure that your company's website is robust, efficient and works like a well-oiled machine. This is crucial if your website offers a high level of dynamic interactivity, with forms, options, perhaps a database connection and other aspects, such as those used by insurance companies to generate instant, online quotations.
Other designers of websites on the other hand have more of a graphical background. The first example may well be of the scientific bent, but the graphical designer is definitely the artist. These are the ones who will create a magnificent visual appeal which generates a striking look to your website, catching the eye, holding the attention and ensuring that your website looks professional and is memorable. This is important if, for example, you are in the photographic industry, fashion or non-retail sites.
There is, of course, a third group of web designers, and these are the ones who don't especially hark from either camp, but which have an eclectic mix of skills, and experience of creating a wide range of websites. Often these are the designers who come from an amateur background and who simply enjoyed creating sites so much they learned to develop their skills to a professional level.
Generally, this third group excel at creating websites which are fully compliant with standard internet directives in terms of coding, compatibility, and accessibility, all of which are increasingly important as in many countries there are now laws governing accessibility of public websites run by established companies. Compatibility is important because not everyone is using a PC, and not everyone runs Microsoft Internet Explorer, and not everyone has their screen resolution set to the same dimensions, nor have monitors of the same ratio.
One might also add, though perhaps it might be seen as unnecessary, that within the world of website design there are many rather unscrupulous characters who believe that throwing together a few images into a table and choosing some colors which look quite pretty together makes for a good website. Hurling in a few extra gimmicks is all to the good, so they would say. Avoid this bunch if you can.
Of course, the real problem lies in understanding not only which of these groups is more appropriate to you, but why the other groups wouldn't be. Certainly, you will want your corporate website to have a good, attractive image, but at the same time, you will also need it to be robust and reliable, not to mention fully accessible and as compatible as possible. What you need isn't just a dip in the pick'n'mix bag - you need at least a handful, if not the whole bag.
One of the key issues which it will be important to bear in mind even before you begin to discuss the idea of a website with potential web designers is to consider carefully what you need from your site. How do you feel it will work within your business? What impression would you like to give? Perhaps look at some of your competitors' websites and see how they have tackled the task, and consider what you could include to make yours stand out; prove more useful, more attractive, more functional, and more accessible.
Naturally it will be important to look at previous websites put together by potential website designers, and look carefully at how effective these are. Do not be swayed by fancy graphics and attractive artwork. This might well be important, but it isn't just the images which make a website attractive. You'll need to attract visitors, you'll need to engage visitors, you'll need to make visitors want to come back again and again, and you'll want to make visitors turn into customers. How do you perceive this to be possible?
Good web designers usually come in teams, and will have good levels of experience in programming, graphics, compatibility and accessibility, as well as bringing ideas and suggestions to the table which you will probably not have considered yourself. Listening to their ideas is easier if you have already considered your own needs critically first, and don't rush into a commitment before you have decided that it is truly for you.
Another key point which is essential to consider is longevity. A website is likely to be a significant part of your business, and will need to be maintained, updated and developed further in the future. Who will do this? Are the web designers you have chosen going to be around for a long time, provide a consistent level of quality workmanship and support, and at a good price? A website isn't just for Christmas, remember...
