Are you looking for a website designer?
It’s hard to know if a website developer is reputable or if the cost is reasonable. We suggest these questions as a starting point for your consultation.
Did you build your own site?
Many website developers use ready-made WordPress themes or templates for their own site to make a good first impression. This can indicate they’re limited to using templates and they may not be able to do any custom work. Some people advertising as web designers are salespeople on commission from off-shore programmers. They are not likely to be available for future updates. Students may temporarily patch friends together to make your site, or not have the experience to complete the work. There is also a trend towards large collaborative groups of people working in different cities presenting themselves as one company online. If you’re seeking a reliable and responsive team, we recommend you drop by for a visit.
Can I link to samples of your work?
Samples of work are your biggest source of information about the developer. We think that all samples of work should be recent and active (meaning live online) and not just pictures of sites. Red flags include “coming soon” sites, pictures of sites without links to the real sites, sample sites with older dates, and broken links to sample sites. Most important, do a web search for the names of any companies they list, to see if the live sites match the samples. You can also email or phone a few of the sites shown as samples and ask for references.
Do you create your own templates and style sheets?
The answer should be yes. How the site is built is an important aspect of search engine optimization as well as customization. The majority of people coming to us for site updates do so because their site was built with a commercial template, and either the developer isn’t available any more or the template can’t be customized.
Do you recommend “flash” websites?
The answer in most cases should be no. Flash websites are not search engine friendly so your site won’t rank well. Flash pages can take a long time to load and they can’t be bookmarked. Flash is great when used in areas like banners or slideshows (although these areas will not display on iPhones or iPads) but the whole site should not be Flash unless there is a very good reason.
How much do you charge for a site?
To answer this question, a web designer needs to know more about what you need. It’s like going a car lot full of sedans, SUVs, hatchbacks and convertibles and asking, “How much is a car?” It really depends on the features and performance you need. If you’re given a price before you provide specific information, the developer probably has a very limited range of work in mind. It’s very helpful to tell us your budget. Even a ball park will give us an idea if your goals are reasonable. Also find out how you will pay – in stages, with a deposit, or all at once. It will avoid misunderstandings later.
How long will it take and when can you start?
There are frequent time gaps while clients collect content, take photos, write text, gather testimonials, get domain name transfers, verify passwords, or approve different stages of the site development. An experienced developer will take these factors into consideration so you have a realistic sense of the project timeline.
Read more about why a consultation is important.
What kinds of accreditation do you have?
Ask for accreditation references such as a business license, degrees, internships, memberships in organizations, etc. If you have a reputable business, you deserve a reputable website developer. Be aware there are logical drawbacks to using students or beginners. These may include lengthy timelines to complete your site, lack of experience judging project requirements and budgets, difficulty completing sites before a course or program finishes, building sites that are not coded to industry standards, and the probability that the person won’t be available in the future to do updates. And unlike students enrolled in dental schools, students and beginning web designers are not likely to have anyone supervising their work very closely, if at all.
What is your hourly rate?
The answer may include a combination of quotes by the hour and by the job. An experienced developer will break things down so you know what you’re paying for. For example, most developers do not include marketing in their estimates. Be sure to ask what you can expect to pay for updates – the cost should be hourly or priced according to the type of update. Avoid anyone who requires a “maintenance” fee, unless there is a really good reason. (For example, if you are planning a directory site, you may want someone to monitor the entries on your behalf.)
What kinds of search engine optimization do you offer?
The answer should include information about the site architecture, meta tags, alt tags, verification codes, xml sitemaps, webstats and much more. At a minimum, SEO work should include all the elements listed in Services: Search Engine Optimization. Avoid companies that offer expensive monthly plans for SEO. Generally they are not following Google’s regulations, which can cause you penalties. Read more about link-mining practices.
Who do you recommend for a host?
In addition to a website, you need a host. The host is the company that owns the computer where your website files are stored. It should cost less than $10/month for unlimited bandwidth and file storage. Ideally it should be a major, stable company – there is really no reason to settle for anything less. (We recommend Bluehost at $6.95/month as an inexpensive and very stable host.)
The following are red flags: anyone who hosts their own site, or who charges for a domain name (except country extensions like .ca), or who charges more than $10 per month for hosting, or who charges according to different “levels” or “plans”.
Your host should provide free web statistics about your visitors, full access to the control panel and FTP uploads, and charge less than $10 each for extra domain names. Try to avoid “virtual hosting”, which means the developer puts all his clients on one server account but charges them as if they have separate accounts. You need to fully own your own domain name, and be sure you have your own username and password.
What kinds of usability do you recommend?
The human factors or usability aspects should be a critical factor to the developer. Most people will tell you they use “alt” tages, some might mention using CSS (both are important). They should also be able to advise you about navigation issues, consistency, how they’ll test your site on different platforms in different browsers – and in different versions of browsers, and how they will balance your site development against marketing feedback from Google Analytics and other visitor statistics.
Articles & posts to consider
How to find a good web developer – designer
What does a front-end developer do
How to choose a web designer
Web template scams
