Searching For A Web Designer

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Written by Stephen Grisham, Sr.

Saturday, 29 November 2008 11:33

by StephenGrisham,Sr.

Web design has changed a lot in the past few years. Now that "web 2.0" is in full swing, you need to choose your web designer carefully. Web design skills of the last decade do not apply today. Today's great web developers should also have lite programming knowledge such as javascript, in addition to a complete creative portfolio. As the Internet changes, choosing a web designer with a balance of artistic skills and adherence to web standards is the best option.

The web design process is often difficult for business owners to manage. There are many confusing terms and technical jargon, which sound complicated, but are just a matter of familiarity. When planning your website, you should consider it as a flagship store or the face of your company. Think of planning a website like planning a building. First you need blueprints, then an artistic rendering, and finally the builders make it real.

First, you should consider whether or not you will need a database. If you need to do more with your site than a contact form and dynamic text, images, and video, you will probably need a programmer too. If you are making a website for the face of your business, you may just need a web designer to begin. Research similar websites that you like and take lots of notes on your likes and dislikes. Don't forget links to the pages. Web designers frequently charge by the hour, so proper planning before you start will help your web designer work more quickly and will save you money.

After you have a good idea of what you would like to see on your website, it's time to start looking for a web designer. The Internet is the best place to look of course. There are numerous people already advertising their services, or you can place a free classifieds ad to request applications and portfolio links. You should also have a budget range prepared.

The essential elements of a good web designer are personality, reputation, creativity, and past work. Reputation is great to rely on as not all web designers have a degree. For example, students in the field of web designing are often freelancing and are more up to date on the new programs compared to those who have been in the field for years. This allows them to customize the websites more to your liking.

When deciding on your designer; consider their background knowledge of the computer languages. Such skills as image editing, XHTML, CSS3, and javascript are all of the necessary tools to put your site together. However if you want a more interactive page - an actionscript or Flashscript expert will be needed as well. Choosing a web designer with all of these skills may be more expensive but could save you money in the long run.

Be wary of web designers who have an extensive portfolio of sites that all look the same, such as websites made fully in flash. These web designers are often using templates. You can purchase templates yourself, usually for a lot less than hiring a designer if you have the software or knowledge to edit these templates. However, templates are often avoided because they are frequently unoriginal.

You may need to consider a content management system if you plan on updating your website a lot and you do not know HTML. There are many CMS's available from simple blog sites like wordpress to professional CMS's like Joomla and Drupal. If you are choosing a branded CMS, be sure to choose a web designer with experience "skinning" (putting new graphics and images) on your particular brand of software.

The final step in the planning (once you decide on your web designer) is to create mock ups. These are just the images of your website representing what it will look like when its finished. Examine these with caution before you let the designer transform them into CSS and XHTML. Validating their code online is never a bad idea, yet sometimes it is just simpler to look at the product when finished.

About the Author:

Stephen Grisham, Sr. is a Staff Writer for InfoServe Media, a Houston Web hosting company that provides custom web design. Visit today, or call 1 (800) 838-2203 for a free quote.