Find a Professional Web Designer

More and more people are setting up in business as a web designer but there is a huge gap between enthusiastic amateurs and a professional web designer. Contrary to what people think, this is not something you can pick up in a day and takes years to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to build top quality websites. This level of expertise can be found at a good web design agency.

Signs of a professional web designer

A professional web designer will have skills in HTML and CSS as well as experience in JavaScript, MySQL and PHP. Avoid someone who knocks up web pages in FrontPage or Dreamweaver as we are talking about being able to hand code a website.

They will understand the fundamentals of graphic design and know what images to use and why. This means familiarity with image editing software such as Photoshop and Fireworks - no Clip Art or stock photography. They will understand about the importance of image resolution, dpi and the balance between compression and quality.

A good designer will be familiar with search engine optimisation (SEO) and understand the importance of a high search engine ranking. But they also know the time and effort that goes into this and will advise their clients accordingly. Avoid anyone who promises to get your website to number 1 in a couple of days.

Choosing a professional web designer

Web designers typically have a portfolio which contains examples of sites they have built. They also have a series of testimonials from satisfied clients. Have a look at these before contacting the designer to arrange a meeting.

But you will need to be clear about what you want in regard to your website. Why do you want a website? What are the goals of the website and how do these relate to your business? Are you going to update it or do you want to pay someone to do this on a regular basis?

And, most importantly, what is your budget for a website? Many people underestimate the time and costs involved in building a website and think that a cheap and cheerful site will do the job. But if you want a top quality, well designed website which gives a professional image of your business then expect to pay for it. Good does not come cheap.

Ask the designer about content: the content is the most important aspect of your website so decide whether you will provide this or whether you want to designer to provide this via a professional copywriter. Don't forget to ask them about SEO and marketing.

But what you need to be clear about is whether you like and trust the web designer and are comfortable working with them.

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Adaptive Consultancy is a London web design company who specialise in website design, eCommerce, and internet marketing, including SEO, PPC and SMO. For more on online marketing agencies visit http://www.adaptiveconsultancy.com/web-design/website-design

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