There are more than 30 million small businesses in the United States. Because of this, no matter your industry, you’re up against a lot of competition.

And to survive in today’s competitive marketplace, it’s essential that you have an effective website. But for most small business owners, web design is simply not a part of their skillset.

If this is the case, there’s no need to fear. There are lots of qualified web designers available. The key is making sure you pick the right one.

Keep reading for what you need to know about hiring a web designer.

Look at their Portfolio

As you’re looking at various web designer options, be sure you look at their portfolios. When you do this, you’ll be able to see work that they’ve done for clients in the past.

This will help you get an idea of their overall style. It’s like shopping for shoes–some will appeal more to you than others and that’s okay.

Pay attention to layout, font, and image styles and see if you can imagine them creating your site.

Find Out about Development

So you’ve found a web designer. Great! But what about the development of the website?

As you’re looking for someone to hire, ask them about the development process as well as the design process. Who will code it once it’s mocked up? Is that included in the pricing?

Will you need to find a separate company to do the development? If so, that’s okay, but you should make sure you know beforehand.

Ask about SEO

When it comes to an effective company website, the look is just one part of the equation. In order to rank well on Google, you need to make sure your site is built for search engine optimization (SEO).

As you’re looking for a web designer, ask them about their experience building websites that function well from an SEO perspective. Are they familiar with title tags, meta descriptions, and optimizing image sizes?

Bring these things up before signing on the dotted line as you’re hiring a web designer.

What about Maintenance?

You can’t make your website now and never update it and expect great results. It simply won’t perform well as trends change.

Any website requires frequent updates to optimize performance.

Ask your designer about what types of maintenance they include. If you want to switch out an image, will you be able to log in and make the change? Or will you have to pay them extra?

Figure this out now, so you’ll be prepared for the future.

Hiring a Web Designer: Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve read all about hiring a web designer, it’s time to think about your specific situation. What type of site do you want? What design style are you looking for?

Once you’ve decided on these things, you’re ready to hire someone to help you out. Looking for an experienced design and development firm? Contact us today.