How to Deal With Web Designers

I'll be blunt. People often get ripped off by web designers. If people were Basil Fawlty, most web designers would be called O'Reilly. You're promised a wall, but what you get is actually a truckload of bricks dumped on your lawn, bereft of all traces of mortar.

In this article, I'll aim to help you avoid a similar catastrophe when looking for a web designer. Remember, they need you as much as you need them. There's no harm in going to several places to get a quote, just as you would when getting your patio done.

What technologies will you be using to construct my site?

This is basically a less direct way of saying 'How good are you? What skills do you have?' (and if you're feeling bold, go ahead and ask that instead!) You should be looking for someone who:

* Has experience in some sort of graphic design software. A few well known packages include PhotoShop, GIMP, PaintShop Pro and Corel Draw.
* Is proficient in (X)HTML, CSS and (for interactive sites) PHP or another server-side scripting language (Perl, Ruby and ASP are other examples).
* Can explain to you the importance of accessible web design and practice.
* Has a portfolio of past work available for you to peruse. Don't feel shy about asking to see a designer's portfolio, and make sure you're happy with the quality of the sites they've got under their belt. Here, quality is more important than quantity.

Can you offer me a Content Management System?

A Content Management System (CMS) is basically a tool that allows you to update your own website without having any technical knowledge, cutting out the problem of paying a web designer every time you need to change something on your site.
If the answer is yes, ask if you could have a play on a demo of the system. This way you can see which system offers you the most flexibility and features. At the least, a CMS should allow you to create, edit and delete pages on your website, with more advanced systems featuring photo gallery systems, blogs and other useful features.

Do you really need a CMS? Well, even if you don't foresee the need for major changes on your site any time soon, it's still a worthwhile investment. A site that is regularly updated reassures readers that you're an active organisation or individual and allows you to develop a rapport and feeling of community with your customers and visitors. In terms of cost, it depends on how often you need to update: if you're paying your web designer every week to make little changes to text on your site then you are probably losing out by not using a CMS. If however, you pay up-front for a jazzy system but only update once a year, you may be better off just giving your web designer a call when you need changes.

Can you actually build my site?

When seeking a web designer, people often assume that they are omnipotent beings whose very fingers are an organic part of the strings of the world wide web. In essence, people often don't consider the possibility that the designer they are speaking to may not have the skills, experience, or time to deliver the required solution. To help your prospective designers answer this question you'll need to make a list of things you need your website to do. Let's consider a city-centre restaurant. The website feature list might go something like this:

* Classy, striking design
* Allows customers to view/download our menus and daily special boards
* Display staff mini-biographies
* Map facility for directing customers to our establishment
* Allow customers to reserve a table online.
* Must be able to update the site ourselves, for short notice changes in menu and price.

Faced with such a list, a good designer will give it a quick scan and usually know whether they can provide a site that meets (or exceeds) these specifications. They may also want to go through certain points in more detail, just to clarify what is actually required. If you're both happy they can meet your needs, and you decide to go ahead with that designer, make sure that all those features are written down in the web designer's technical specification, which should be a binding document. If they don't plan on providing you with a tech-spec and refuse to do so when asked, show them the door. Those features need to be written down in a binding document so that you know you're getting what you asked for.

How long will it take?

This is key. Depending on the complexity of your site and the size of the web designer's organisation, you could be looking at two weeks for a simple brochure site to six months or longer for a complex e-commerce solution. It will vary wildly from designer to designer, so just see what you get offered. Do be careful with companies who tell you it can be done in a suspiciously short time frame – make sure that in the contract there are penalties to them for late delivery or non-adherence to the technical specification.

How much is it going to cost?

Aah, the age old question. And the age old answer: It Depends. Quotes will vary: large organisations will generally be more expensive, because they have more staff to pay and they have the reputation and client base to justify their prices. Smaller companies will vary – while some may charge ridiculous amounts (and if anyone tries to charge you per page, fold up their contract until it's all sharp corners and shove it somewhere painful) there will be some prepared to quote you a reasonable price that reflects the scale of the project and the skills base required.

Conclusion

There are many more questions you can ask prospective designers to get information to help you in your decision, but these will vary depending on your organisation and circumstances. That said, the five questions above will provide you with a pretty good idea of who you want to build your website. Remember, always make sure you and the designer have read and signed a contract and technical specification so both parties know what's going on. There's nothing else to say except: good luck!