If you want to get your website designed but lack the necessary tech expertise and are seeking professionals who could do the job for you, here is a checklist that you should follow. Cause if you are shelling out a quality
sum, you might as well get its worth back!
Following are some clues that will point to a successfully completed design
project:
Website Designer without a Website
If the probable web designer or the company that you seek to hire doesnt
have a website to stake claim, then run for your life by all means. There is
absolutely no excuse for not having an online presence for any advertising
and marketing company. And if they havent cared about themselves, there
is bleak possibility that they will for you.
Coming Soon
If all or most of the samples on a web designers site say Coming Soon or Page
not found take it as screaming sign that says, save yourself! All these
tags mean but one thing, that theyre probably a company that doesnt
finish projects or drag it on till eternity.
Same Samples
there might be many sample works pasted on their website. But look closer to
see if they theyre all for the same campaign or company and one youve
never heard of. This is clue enough to tell you that the samples are done
for design school, not real world business.
Typos, Broken Links and Stale Info
Look out for work samples that have typos, broken links and outdated information.
And if you see any dont haste in leaving. If theyve done it
before, they can obviously do it again.
No Key Questions
While interviewing a designer, see if they ask the three key questions:
"
What does the client do?
"
What does the client want done?
"
What is the project deadline?
And if they dont ask these, just ask them to leave!
No Communication
If you have trouble getting the design company on the phone, or there is no
response to your emails in a timely and efficient manner, it is cue enough
for their future performance. This is just a foreshadowing of whats
to come when the real work begins.
No Price Quote
If they dont have a price quote or printing estimate in writing, there
are chances that its all a fraudulent proceeding. Verbal estimates are
amateur, indicating that that designer is as well.
Too good to be true
If the price sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Youll
either never get the final project completed, or youll get what you
pay for. Get several quotes to see what the ballpark figures should be, especially
so if you are new in the game. And dont rely on internet companies as
many are in foreign countries, thus making communication impossible.
Contract
If there is no contract signage in the picture, then there is reason to caution.
Do you know what the payment terms are, who owns the copyright, are there
royalties or usage limits, and so on. Dont hire any contractor without
some agreement in writing.
No Money Upfront
If you arent asked for money up front, run back! Think of it as a retainer,
and typically, an assurance that your job is taken as a serious priority. If
youve gotten to this point with your research, a deposit of 30 or 50%
shouldnt scare you.
With this 10 point checklist to take cue from, chances of you zeroing in on
the wrong designer are well& zeroed out!
After being in the web design and development industry in India for quite
some time, Michael Henderson is a known name. Presently, he works with the
WWW standards as an acting consultant and advises the clientele about hiring
offshore web services. He also advises the web development team to built web
pages that comply with the W3C standards.
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