|
| It seems that everyone from a 15-year-old child to their Grandmother is able to design a web site these days. You could also build the site yourself using a word processor or other web site program; however if you choose this route, plan on spending quite a bit of time learning, to get your site to look professional. Creating a web site is not as simple as typing a letter. |
| If you want your site to look professional, it is imperative to have a designer that will be with you from the start to the finish of your web site and will also be there in the future should you need changes or updates to your site. |
| Experience - how long has the person or business been designing web sites? If it is only a short time then they may not be familiar with all the technologies available in designing a web site and may not be around to take care of your future needs |
| Look at the design of their web site and other sites that they have designed by going to their portfolio page. Do the colors and text look balanced? Do all the links work, does the site load fast and is it easy to navigate the site? Do all the pages have a consistent look? |
Vision – create a basic plan of the type of web site you want. Do a search of other sites on the Web, to get a rough idea of what type of site you are looking for, that is unique to your business, (not just a copy of someone else’s). Sketch your ideas out on paper, so that when you contact your designer, you already have a good idea of what you have in mind. |
| Decide what kind of web site it should be – will it be an informational web site, a web site that will continue to expand as you develop your business, or an e-commerce web site with a number of products for which you accept online payments? |
Technology – if you want to use advanced technologies on your site, such as flash, shock wave, database integration, make sure your designer is familiar with them and how this may affect your site. They are often expensive to implement and may not be needed for you to set up your business on the Web. |
– make sure you can contact your designer by phone or email and see how long it takes for them to get back to you. If it takes a long time, then this may be an indication of what your future contact with them will be like. Are they helpful, professional, polite and friendly? I find this always makes it easier to do business and less stress on yourself, since you will want it to be a strong and stable relationship. |
|
