When I found out I needed a website for my company, I immediately started reading up on web design companies. Having no experience in the matter, I wanted to entrust my website with a designer who really knew his stuff. Through some contacts, I chanced upon Grand Rapids Web Design. From them, I learned what to look for in a great web designer!
1. A great designer doesn’t only have great experience, but more. After an initial meeting with Grand Rapids Web Design, I made the observation that not all of them had years and years of experience. At one point, I wasn’t sure if they had the skill, but when I saw the work the Grand Rapid Web Designer showed me, I was blown away. To create cutting edge work, experience isn’t always a factor. Sometimes, experience will even work against you, especially when a web designer refuses to adapt to change and to embrace new trends.
2. Always take a look at portfolios- I would never have hired my Grand Rapids Web Designer had I not seen his portfolio and body of work. A portfolio is always a great way to gauge someone’s skill and talent. From looking at someone’s portfolio, it also becomes easier to see if you and the designer’s taste and styles are alike. Ultimately, my decision to work with Grand Rapids Web Design was decided upon by the portfolio the resident designer showed me.
3. Find out what skills your designer has. A particular website doesn’t look the way it does because of web design. Certain codes and elements have to be put in the website to make it perform the way it does. If you want a fancy website, with all the bells and whistles. Your designer must have the skills to implement these. In interviewing your designer, ask about his knowledge on HTML, Java, CSS and other programming languages. It would also be a good idea to find out if they know how to implement PHP, Ajax, flash and even SEO. In working with Grand Rapid Web Design, we were quickly able to assess what I needed for my site to be different, yet functional. The designer that I worked with, fortunately had the skills to make my vision come to life.
These simple points above will definitely be a great help to anyone looking for a web designer that really delivers. If you ask me, it is better to be direct and honest about what you want and need in your website. After all, you, as the client, need to be happy and satisfied with your website so you can proudly promote it. With that said, go on in hunt for the perfect web designer that will give you the website that speaks of your voice and vision. Good luck!