| If you just started an online business, you probably | | | | many different jobs to do at once. As a result, they |
| have no idea how to go about hiring a web designer. | | | | will throw your design together haphazardly. You will |
| Who should you call? Should you look someone up in | | | | be very disappointed with the work they produce. |
| the yellow pages? Should you hire someone who | | | | The best web designers to hire are professionals |
| works for a company that employs many different | | | | who do web design as a career, and do focused |
| web designers, or should you hire a sole proprietor? | | | | projects. You should hire either a sole proprietor who |
| Or, should you hire a freelancer who does web | | | | has a large portfolio of work to show you, or a small |
| design part time? How much does it cost? | | | | firm of web designers who work together and have |
| If you need someone to develop a very simple, | | | | extensive web design experience. Professionals |
| static website that is merely a personal homepage or | | | | charge more than anyone else, but because they |
| just an informational site about your business, then | | | | have so much experience and such a wide variety of |
| you pretty much have carte blanche. The only issue | | | | designs for you to choose from, they will do a |
| in this case would be cost. A freelancer will charge a | | | | fantastic job in only a fraction of the time. |
| lot less than a professional, but a freelancer might | | | | The only time you should use a freelancer or other |
| not do a thoroughly competent job. There are | | | | inexperienced designer is if you can meet with that |
| numerous website directories that contain a database | | | | individual in person, explain exactly what you want, |
| of freelance web designers who are seeking work. | | | | and if the project itself is very simple and the design |
| If you hire one of these individuals, make sure you | | | | work necessary for the job is not too extravagant. |
| request to see samples of web designs they have | | | | Do not make the mistake of hiring a freelancer over |
| already done, just to make sure they have not done | | | | the internet that lives in a different state and only |
| shoddy work in the past. I find it best to hire a | | | | accepts payments via PayPal or some other sort of |
| professional in this instance, because even though a | | | | electronic payment processing service. Make sure |
| professional will charge more per hour, they can | | | | your freelancer is someone who resides close by so |
| usually do much better work and get it done faster. | | | | that you can monitor their progress and visit them if |
| So, in the end, a freelancer could actually charge | | | | you do not like the initial design they produce. |
| more and you might end up getting a design of | | | | For almost all web design projects, it is best to hire a |
| inferior quality. | | | | professional. Even though it costs more, it is generally |
| Let us take a moment to delineate what the | | | | only a one-time cost. A website is typically only |
| differences are between a freelancer, a sole | | | | designed once with major revisions only done once |
| proprietor, someone who owns a small, reputable | | | | every few years; you may make changes here or |
| web design business with a few employees, and a | | | | there in the short run, but a web site usually stays |
| designer who is part of a huge company that | | | | the same for up to a few years or more. So, you |
| employs up to one hundred web designers (there are | | | | might as well go with the most talented yet |
| quite a few companies out there that employ | | | | reasonably priced designer you can find. |
| hundreds of web designers under a single company | | | | Also, it is very important to hire a designer who has |
| umbrella and also provide domain name registration | | | | a contract that you can sign that stipulates certain |
| and web hosting services all in one package). | | | | terms and conditions. You should be able to pay the |
| First of all, a freelancer is usually someone for who | | | | designer a down payment of 25% - 50% of the |
| web design is merely a hobby. This sort of a person | | | | total quoted price for the job, with the balance due |
| has probably taken a few courses in simple web | | | | upon completion. This is critically important, because it |
| design at a local institute or college, or might be | | | | can be very frustrating to flush money down the |
| self-taught, and dabbles in web design as a part-time | | | | toilet on a design you hate without any way to |
| job or a way to earn extra cash. Some of these | | | | recoup any of your funds afterwards. |
| freelancers might be quite talented, but their designs | | | | Also, the designer should be able to quickly produce |
| are ordinarily not as crisp as what a professional can | | | | some sample layouts after they have been assigned |
| produce. | | | | the job so that you can at least pick a particular |
| To reiterate, a freelancer is someone who only | | | | design that you like the most, and then the designer |
| moonlights as a web designer. So, they are typically | | | | can begin working on that design rather than using |
| busy with their other career, and will take a longer | | | | their artistic license to create a design from scratch. |
| time with your project because of time constraints. | | | | Follow all of these recommendations and be careful |
| In the end, the freelancer probably will not give you | | | | when hiring a web designer. Always work with a |
| the design you really want, and will refuse to refund | | | | professional if your project requires a certain level of |
| your money. | | | | expertise and skill, and make sure you request a |
| A web designer who is part of a larger company that | | | | portfolio containing samples of their work so you can |
| employs one hundred or more designers is just as | | | | see what they have already done. Make sure their |
| bad as a freelancer. These sorts of web designers | | | | prior designs meet your standards. |
| do not have much design skill, and are often given | | | | |