How You Can Get Good Work From Your Web Designer

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How You Can Get Good Work From Your Web Designer

You know what a web designer is, right? Of course you do. He’s that nerdy chap who put together your site. But do you know how to get the best work out of him?

Here are some tricks and tips to be aware of, for when you next need a wee tweak. Before it turns into a 2 week nightmare!

-: Know What Kind He Is.

Some designers are newbies. They’ll offer you a cheap deal so they can add to their portfolio. This is fine. He still should have some web sites of his own that he can demonstrate to you.

Some web designers are professionals. They have an extensive portfolio and are confident what their time is worth. They own limited companies and pay taxes, so they cost more.

Either of these is fine. You can get good quality design from them. You get what you pay for as long as you do your research first.

Then there are the dodgy geezers. They say “Yes, yes” to whatever you suggest. They get a deposit upfront. They do the job up to a point, then stop replying to your emails.

Why?

Because they’re incompetent. Or they make a living cheating people. Or they realise they’re not up to finishing the job.

So you pay 5k for a site that is only half-done. How to avoid this?

-: Specify In Detail, In Advance.

You need to be as specific as possible. Put to paper everything that you can think of. Then refine it. Re-order the priorities. Then edit it for clarity and succinctness. Make it simple to read and understand. _Hone_ that thing!

Only then, email it. This way, your web designer can’t claim you’re looking for things that weren’t in the deal. He knows exactly what you want and so do you.

The opposite of this is to say: “I want a site like such-and-such dot-com”. Or “Can you make me an XYZ industry site?” To which the answer is “Yes, certainly!”. Except you don’t like the results. Because the site doesn’t look like you expected.

Why?

Because your spec is still in your head instead of where it ought to be: on paper!

Cue wailing and gnashing of teeth. For you have entered ‘development hell’. This is the trough of despond where medium-skilled web designers meet complacent clients, to work on ‘The Next Big Thing On The Internet’. The horror, the horror!

-: Pay In Stages.

A designer shouldn’t ask for a lot of money up front. You can pay a deposit. Using a credit card might be an idea for this. You could instigate a charge-back if the initial work is poor. However, this means the designer keeps copyright; you can’t then use it in any way.

Pay a deposit up front, another tranche or two during the course of the work, then the remainder upon completion.

-: Keep Communicating All The Time.

Keep talking to your designer. Don’t let him run off on a tangent. The internet is a road with many byways. There are tons of glittering toys you can play with which divert your attention. Both of you need to keep your ‘eyes on the prize’: making a fat profit from your website.

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