Finding a Web Designer

A Cautionary Tale

A chap I now know quite well found himself a web design company after being convinced that there was a big market in health supplements - which indeed there is but it is also a very competitive marketplace.

He had three sites written to promote various aspects of his business and for each site he paid £25,000. On top of that he was contracted to pay another large sum per year for updates and £8000 per year for a 'licence' for the shopping cart!

The three sites bought in business revenues that were measurable in only hundreds of pounds over the next year, and the mounting costs were not reduced by such a meagre income. Eventually the house had to be sold to pay the web designers

Since then, a web design company we know and trust have said that the total bill for all 3 of the sites should have been in the region of £10,000 - that's a saving of £65,000 for a start.

I researched the shopping cart he was using (£8000 per year) and found out he could have bought the software for a one off charge of less than £1500!

As a footnote to this, I would just like to add that the person concerned has emerged from this painful episode much wiser and has started a new enterprise that is going from strength to strength

Avoiding The Pitfalls

Careful study of the story (true, I hasten to add!) above will reveal the essential procedures and questions you need to ask when you are looking for your web designer...

Firstly, ALWAYS approach more than one company with your proposal and compare quotes.

Secondly ask about their experience writing web sites that sell! So many web designers are just that - designers - and are very capable of providing you with a very pleasing site that looks lovely, and if that's what you are after then fine!

However: A pretty web site, and a web site that sells your products or gets you the appointment, are NOT necessarily the same thing!

Find out if your web designer has written sites that actually produce revenue and ask to talk to their customers. Find out if the site they commissioned has paid for itself and if so how long did it take?

Ask your web designer how long you have to catch your would-be customer's attention when they first find your web site! The surprising answer in these days of rapidly shifting attention is ONLY 3 SECONDS! How do they intend to achieve this?

Does your web designer have any experience writing copy?

Ask your web designer how they will use the keyword research you have done.

Which shopping cart (if you need one) do they recommend - how much does the software cost and how much do they charge to set it up for you and are there any ongoing costs?

What will they charge you for updates and how quickly will they do any updates you want?

Will they guarantee and show you that the site they produce will work in a variety of web browsers?

Further Considerations

You can find out more about cross browser compatibility, shopping carts and other considerations as you progress through these pages, and you will need to bear all these things in mind when you appoint a web designer, but they also apply if you take the plunge and write your own web site!

Whether you use a designer or write your own, there a just a few more things worth knowing