1. What mistakes do people make when choosing a web designer?
Most people make the mistake of buying a website based on price. They will go for the cheapest designer because they don’t know what exactly they hope to achieve with a website. They just think they need a website because their competitor has a website and they must have one too without finding out WHAT they want to use it for.
When clients come to us, we help them uncover exactly what they want to do with a website and most importantly, why.
The WHY needs to be answered first because if there’s no strong reason, the website cannot help you grow your business. It’s as simple as that.
2. Why is there a need to get a website done by a professional web designer?
If you are not running a business, you can get a website simply designed and put it on the world wide web and your reputation will not be affected. But if you are serious about your business and don’t want your image tarnished by a sub-standard website, a professional website is an investment you should look into.
A website is an investment because like all marketing tools, it comes with a price. Yet it is also an investment because it is capable of paying for itself many times over when it brings you more clients and ultimately, more business.
But that is only when the website is designed to attract business. Note that NOT every website works this way.
A properly designed website will help you generate leads and prospects if you select a web design professional who knows how to build marketing and business sense into a website. Otherwise, your website will sit nice and pretty on the world wide web like a brochure and you will not know why you keep paying yearly to renew your domain name and web hosting.
3. How can I be sure that you can help me?
The proof is in what our clients say. Ask our clients and they will tell you the results they’ve achieved as a result of getting their websites designed by us as well as getting reliable and prompt advice from us.
Take a look at the case studies of our clients to understand how we help them solve their most pressing (marketing) problems.
4. Why can’t I design the website myself?
Of course you can design your own website. The issue is, DO you want to? As entrepreneurs, we should know what is the best use of our time. Everyone has 24 hours.
Which would you rather do? Spend time designing a website or spend time growing your business?
Do you want to spend hours tweaking colours, selecting the most appropriate typography, re-sizing and optimising photographs, writing and re-writing your text, finding out how to optimise your overall website, submitting your website to search engines and directories, updating and maintaining your website, checking for links, and more when you can spend your time strategizing for your business?
Every task involves a cost-benefit.
Our question to you: Is designing a website the most effective use of your time and money? Remember, time is also translated into money because spending time learning how to design your own website prevents you from doing other more profitable activities.
You could be spending time networking, meeting clients and doing more productive work instead of stomping on your PC in frustration! (Yes, many a time we ourselves go nuts deciphering CSS and HTML. Stomping on your PC is just one of the milder reactions to extreme frustration. We don’t wish that on anyone!) So get a professional web designer. Don’t sweat blood.
5. Why should small businesses choose your design services?
We’re business people first. We understand business and we use web design to help you get more business from the web. Here are 10 great reasons to use our services.
6. What can I expect from using your design services?
Number one, we design with marketing and business sense because we are designing a marketing machine for your business. Number two, we design for web usability. We design websites that are clear, easy to use and attractive. We design websites to help you stand out among your competitors and give you the results you need.
In fact, you can call us marketers who use the web as a medium to get the business results you need.
It appalls us that so many designers design purely for themselves without taking a step back to ask “Is this website usable? Does it fulfill the marketing objectives of my client? Can it fulfill what my client wants it to do? And how will I know whether it can fulfill those objectives?”
We ask these questions before we start designing any website. We are known for asking tough questions but we do it in your best interest.
7. Any advice for small business owners looking for web designers?
First ask your friends/ family to refer a web designer they’ve used and trust. It is a better bet than picking one randomly from the Yellow Pages or going for a cheap web designer. Remember the adage: you do get what you pay for. Next, go online and find the website of that particular designer. Professional designers must have their portfolio online for you to view. Check out his clients. See what his clients are saying about him.
If you have a budget, name that budget. Be open and honest with your designer about what you want in a website. An experienced designer will advise you on what you really need in a website. He won’t try to sell you everything.
Remember, you don’t need everything that you can get – just everything that you need.
==================== Redbox Studio has been designing websites since 1998. We are specialists in building business websites and we can help you if you want a website that works. Our clients are our best advertisement!
[...] More helpful articles: 1.What mistakes people make when choosing a web designer? [...]