Tips on how to keep Web Designers in Check!
Keeping designers in check! Don't be in danger of over-design!
The catalyst for this article was a quick visit to the Google Groups web forum for web designers. A designer had designed his own site and while it looked like a million bucks, not one link on the site worked! Let this be a lesson in how to keep designers in check so you get the best possible product for your money.
I've learned a few things online, none more disappointing than the horror stories about year-long web projects and completely evaporated online budgets as a result of designers whose creativity is bigger than the amount of time they are actually given. Let this article guide you in putting the kibosh on overzealous web designers who design only to impress other designers. You can have an impressive web site (for a price that might dissuade boutique web firms from your creating your site) that will still sell products or services. Remember, designers are people too and they have to eat, but you don't have to feed them at the fanciest restaurant forever.
Set up a timeline.... Designers, not just web designers, are notoriously lazy. Set up a deadline, contact them periodically to check on the status and do NOT offer extensions. In fact, you might want to consider making them sign a binding legal agreement that says that they will be responsible for lost revenue as a result of the site not being complete. Remember, they work for you, so make them work according to your schedule.
Set up a budget.... One of the most important rules of being successful is getting people to do things your way. Figure out what you can afford and stick to it. If your designer won't do it for the price you want, keep in mind that designers are like fish in the sea; so show them the highway. Don't pay for anything you didn't agree to up front and don't get talked into spending thousands of additional dollars for things you question the legitimacy of. Remember, sometimes less is more.
Know what you want and get explanations...... Approach designers with a good idea about what you want. Research is one of the first steps in designing a business plan and it certainly applies here. Find at least ten sites with ten unique aspects that are appealing to you and have been successful for that site operator. Ask designers to explain things that you don't get, and you will quickly realize how knowledgeable and skilled that designer is.
Make designers accountable..... Good designers like a challenge. Since web design is an all but unregulated industry (and a billion dollar industry at that) you will have to find a way to make designers accountable for what they promise. That means: sign a contract with them. Not complete by a certain date? How about a fifteen percent discount?
Back to the kitchen sink..... Web designers unless they say differently, are just that, designers. They are typically not search engine optimizers or marketing, advertising or promotions specialists so stay away from designers who say will "throw SEO in" on top of what you already paid. Designers have enormous egos and you have to keep them in check.
In conclusion, be the boss and you'll get a great site.
About the Author
Pete Prestipino is the founder and CEO of SCG - Swirling Circle Group, a consortium of online marketers, promoters, SEO's, web designers, and Internet consultants. For more information visit: www.SwirlingCircle.com