25/01/2014
THE TOP 5 QUESTIONS TO ASK A WEB DESIGNER BEFORE EMPLOYING THEIR SERVICES:
It's no surprise when you type in 'web designer' in a search engine, you're going to be presented with advertisements like the one attached to this post.
Prices for web design can vary a lot, from $99 up to $50,000... So how do you know what is the right price to pay for a website? Well, I sometimes ask clients this question "what is more important to you? Price? Or... Cost?". A lot of people don't understand my question. So let me explain it:
The 'price' is what you are charged, or what is advertised as the 'price' for a specific service. The 'cost' however, is the hidden aspect, it's what the service physically 'costs' you in the long term.
So I buy a $395 website.
It's 'price' is $395, and I'm pretty clued on, so I understand it might not have all the features of say a $2000 priced website. After a few months, I want to make some changes. I might find that the Content Management System is too difficult to learn, or that the website was designed in such a way that it isn't flexible to do what i want it to do. Or that to include extra functionality, for example a form that does calculations requires me to now pay more to add it to my website.
When we add up your time running around to organise changes, to contact the original web developer, and the time you spend trying to learn new software, when what you should be doing is running your business, that $395 website has 'cost' you money. So a $395 'priced' website might actually 'cost' you $2000 in the long term, and at the end of the day, you will still have a $395 website. Is this what you want for your business? How would dealing with all of that make you feel?
I'm not saying that every 'affordable' sub $500 website is poor value for money, I'm just saying to do your research first... ask the questions that need to be asked.
HERE ARE THE TOP 5 QUESTIONS TO ASK A WEB DESIGNER BEFORE EMPLOYING THEIR SERVICES:
1. Are your designs 100% CUSTOM designed?
Why ask? A lot of web designers keep their costs down by using pre-made templates, that are purchased from 3rd parties, or designs that they have built themselves and re-sell over and over again. Sure, they'll make some changes like add your logo and pictures, but think about how your potential customers will perceive your brand if your website is nearly identical to somebody else's?
2. Do you have an office or studio where I can meet you?
Why ask? Sometimes, we just need to talk to people face to face. We want to be able to sit next to them at their computer and explain our ideas and make them happen right there in front of our eyes. A designer without an office raises 3 concerns: 1. Their solidarity, how long will they be around for? 2. Are they even in Australia? Some designers outsource and setup offices overseas in countries such as the Philippines, employing local services at a cheap rate... and, well, you get what you pay for. 3. They may be a fraudulent business or operating as an online scam.
3. Do you use an easy CMS with in-context editing, such as concrete5?
Why ask? A hard to navigate and use CMS will 'cost' you in the long term. You need a CMS with no learning curve. You need it to be easy to edit, right there on the page, without having to go to some kind of dashboard or backroom then reload the page to see what your changes look like. A good CMS like Concrete5 will do this for you.
4. Are your designs truly responsive? (that means that the design will change, resize, and collapse neatly so that anyone can view the website on any device without having to zoom or scroll sideways)
Why ask? This is a hot trend in web design at the moment, and any web designer that doesn't offer this would mean they are probably not up to date with technology and the latest ideas for web design. More and more people are using mobile technology to view websites every year. It's important to have your website accommodate these customers.
5. Do you provide Hosting? AND is your hosting located in Australia, and how secure is it?
Why ask? If you're an Australian business, with customers in Australia, then you should be hosting your website in Australia. It's faster to call Australia from Australia, than Australia to USA. Make sure that any hosting is secure, that means, not running from under a desk or a cupboard in the web designer's office or home. All hosting should be operating from a secure server stored at a data centre such as in Equinix's new Sydney 3 (SY3) data centre. You can have a look at it here: http://www.computerworld.com.au/slideshow/396941/pictures_equinix_sy3_data_centre/?image=1
Any less, and you put your business and website at risk of hacking, data loss, lost customers, and fraud.
So, in summing up, I hope this has helped you to determine some good questions, as there are probably more than 5 no doubt, but these are certainly some of the most important to ask.
Patrick Cassidy Website Design can help you with a range of website design solutions. We help local businesses to get online, increase their customer base, save time and embrace new technology to run their businesses.
Call us today! (07) 5660 6123
