Are you having a hard time getting your business to stand out in the digital age? Do you feel that you’re losing customers to bigger businesses with a stronger online presence?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed trying to compete with other businesses. One way to set yourself apart from the competition, though, is to make sure your website is designed well and optimized to rank well in search engines.
Have you ever thought about hiring a website designer for your business?
A website designer can be very helpful, but you have to make sure you hire the right one.
Here are some tips that will help you find the perfect website designer for hire for your electrical contracting website.
Why Hire a Website Designer?
You might not think that the customers who are visiting your electrical contracting website care about web design, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
There are lots of benefits that come with hiring a website designer and optimizing your site. Some of the greatest benefits include:
- Boost your SEO and rankings in search engine results
- Make it easier for your customers to navigate your site
- Send the proper message about your business and make it clear that you’re a professional
- Utilize the latest tools and techniques
- Gain an advantage over your competition
- Avoid mistakes that could slow your site down
- Save time and money
- Make sure your website loads quickly and runs efficiently
This last point is especially important. In fact, 39 percent of website visitors will stop engaging with a site altogether if it loads too slowly.
How to Find a Great Website Designer for Hire
Okay, there are lots of benefits that come from hiring a website designer. But, there are lots of website designers out there. How do you find the best one for your business?
Start by keeping these tips in mind as you conduct your search:
Ask for Recommendations
Start by asking for recommendations from friends and family. Do you have people in your life who are also business owners? Whom did they hire to design their website?
If you don’t know anyone personally whom you can ask for recommendations, do some online research to find website designers in your area.
Don’t just work with the first person who comes your way (whether it’s through a recommendation or an online search).
Make a list of several candidates and do some more research to see what kind of reputation they have.
Are people generally happy with their work? Are there any complaints against them with entities like the Better Business Bureau?
Look at Their Portfolio
An important part of your research ought to be looking at each website designer’s portfolio.
Try to find designers who have worked with businesses like yours in the past. Then, look at their portfolio to see what kind of work they’ve done.
Does it appeal to you? Do those websites look nice? Are they easy to use?
Remember to be wary of a designer who provides limited samples or only has old samples on their website.
Look for a Long-Term Business
There are tons of website designers and design companies out there these days. Not all of them are going to be here five years from now.
Try to find a designer who has been in business for a few years (if not longer). This is an indicator that they are running a solid business and are likely to stick around for a long time.
Remember, the goal is to build a long-term business relationship with one designer or design company, not to hop from designer to designer every couple of years.
Consider Your Chemistry
Before you agree to work with a particular designer, try to arrange to sit down with them in person or at least talk to them on the phone.
During this conversation, pay attention to your chemistry and how you get along with this designer.
Are they friendly and easy to talk to? Do they seem excited and interested in designing the best possible website for your business?
Pay attention to the questions they ask you, too. Do they want to know what kind of website you’re interested in? Do they want to know what your business is and how it works?
Consider Your Budget
Of course, price matters. Chances are you don’t have unlimited funds to put toward a website designer.
You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get a good website designer. But, you should also be wary of designers who are extremely cheap.
With website design, as with any other service, you get what you pay for. As a business owner yourself, you need to keep that in mind.
Focus on price and make sure you’re not paying more than you can afford, but make sure you’re investing in quality design and service, too.
Ask the Right Questions
Finally, when you’re learning more about this service and trying to decide which website designer to hire, make sure you’re asking them the right questions.
The following are some essential questions you ought to ask:
- Can you provide references?
- How long have you been in business?
- What is your typical price range?
- What is the typical turn-around time?
- When can you start this project?
- What information do you need before you can start?
- Do you use templates or custom design?
- Do you offer website maintenance or support post-launch?
Keep the answers to these questions in mind to make sure you’re hiring the right person for your business.
Need More Website Design Advice?
There are lots of reasons to hire a website designer, and the benefits go way beyond mere aesthetics.
Of course, to reap the benefits of a website designer, you need to make sure you’re working with the right website designer for hire.
Keep these tips in mind so you can find the best website designer to create your electrical contracting website.
Do you need more help with your website? If so, we’ve got articles to help you.
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