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Web Strategies #8
Don't Get Ripped Off By A Web Designer
We often work with new clients whose site has
significant problems because the person who
built the site either did not know what they
were doing or did not take the time to do it
correctly. These are not sites built by
someone's friend or family member, these are
sites built by someone who said they were a web
designer -- and who charged the client a premium
price.
Here's what to look out for when hiring a web
designer:
- Someone who is technically savvy but doesn't
know anything about design. They won't create a
unique image for your business that is
appropriate to your industry and audience. These
designers are cranking out the same design or
bad design again and again.
- Someone who will make themselves look cool
with your web site. Software has made it possible
for many people to make web sites. They know how
to produce flashy design using software but are
ignorant of the technical aspects necessary to
be seen and found on the Web.
- Someone who is not planning to create a long
term relationship with clients. They may not be
here when you need to update the site.
- Someone who doesn't regard your project as a
high priority. They may not respond quickly to
emails, take time to explain how it all works or
meet your deadline.
Sometimes a site can look great, but not work
well in all browsers, or take too long to load,
or rely on proprietary technology that breaks as
time goes on. For example, this summer we worked
with an LA art gallery whose site was built
entirely with Flash. The all-Flash design
allowed them to have an elegant site with some
subtle touches that made the site look great.
But since the site featured dozens of
high-quality images of artwork (and Flash can't
use any special tricks to make these download
any faster), it took a long time for the site to
load. Flash is also largely invisible to Search
Engines, and the clients had been working very
hard to be "found." Finally, the site needed at
least monthly updates and Flash was just
complicating the process. We were able to
recreate the elegant Flash design using straight
HTML and optimized images, and the site loads
much faster and more reliably than before. We
also built them some tools for updating the site
themselves. A month or so later, we were invited
to perform the same service for another gallery
with a site designed by the same person!
Do get a referral for a web designer from a
business person you know and trust, or check
their references. Also be sure you look at
several sites that they have built and observe
whether those sites load well. Of course, you'll
want someone who communicates well, is
professional and respectful. They should have
good design skills and some ability to help you
with marketing.
While the browser war between Netscape and
Internet Explorer is largely over, that doesn't
mean pages can just be created for a single
browser. Significant percentages of users still
use alternatives to Internet Explorer -- and
even different versions of Internet Explorer can
render pages differently. It is as important as
ever that pages be checked in a variety of
browsers and platforms. The professional
appearance of your company is what is at stake.
Four questions you can ask a web designer to
help you decide if they are the one for
you:
1. What tools do you use to create and update
sites?
They should talk about professional-grade tools
-- like Dreamweaver or GoLive, rather than
FrontPage. If the designer gets a little huffy
and comments that they code everything by hand,
you've probably found a winner.
2. How long have you been working with HTML
and CSS?
HTML and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) form the
backbone of just about all web technology. This
should be measured in years, not months (or
weeks). There are some lessons only experience
is going teach, and there is also value in
having extensive experience with "older"
browsers. "Older" is in quotes here because you
might be surprised how many current web surfers
are using outdated browsers.
3. What browsers and platforms do you
check your pages against?
Here you are looking for a variety of browsers,
versions and platforms. At the very least, they
should mention Internet Explorer 5.5 and 6; and
Netscape 6 and 7. Ideally, they would also
mention Opera and Netscape 4.x. It's also a
definite plus if they are able to check with
Windows and Macintosh machines.
4. Are there any clients of yours that I may
contact for a reference?
Apart from the technical skills covered in
the other questions, here you can find out how
responsive they are and how easy they are to
work with.
Web Development Flashes
A web designer can prepare your site for search
engines and consult with you about your search
engine needs. Decisions made even at the early
phases of a site's design can have an impact on
how successful the site will be with Search
Engines.
A designer needs to understand how
Search Engines find sites (and how they
eliminate sites that look "suspicious"). They
need to be able to work with you to develop a
set of keywords and phrases that will help your
potential clients find you. They should also be
able to talk to you about different third-party
services for search engine placement.
When you discuss your site initially with the
designer, discuss how frequently you will need
to update your site. If you update a few times
a year then it may well be most economical just
to pay the web service to do the updates.
If you are planning a site that requires daily, weekly or even monthly updates,
however, you might want to consider other options.
You might want to be trained to use Dreamweaver and
write a bit of HTML or have a script written for your
site that will enable you to update it without knowing
HTML. It's a good idea to keep all of this in mind
from the start of the process -- rather than spending
your entire budget on a great looking site that turns
out to be out of date before it is even launched.
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