Today all sorts of businesses, information providers and even charity organizations realize the importance of web presence. But websites don’t just appear. In fact developing an appealing user and search engine friendly website is an extremely challenging task. Design is a key component of any website and, unless you are a web designer yourself you’ll have to hire one. With thousands of designers and web developers, design agencies and individual freelancers out there it’s not at all easy to make the right choice.

Before you start checking credentials and contacting your prospects you need to decide what you want from your website. You should figure out how big you think your website should be, who will its target audience be, would you like to be able to update it yourself, will you be selling anything, and of course what budget you can afford.

Once you’ve done your homework, you can start searching for a designer. It is usually web designers themselves or people with at least some knowledge of web design who can easily spot a good web designer. Referrals are the safest way to go. Remember that you don’t need the best web designer in the world, you need the one who will do the job and leave you satisfied with the results

There are a number of things to consider when choosing a web designer. The first and most obvious thing to do is to have a look at their website. Check if it loads fast enough; see if it is easily navigable and user-friendly. Try to visit as many pages as you can to make sure there’re no broken links or inaccessible pages. Well, and don’t forget to read the information about the designer or Design Company making sure then they have a good technical background.

The next step is to have a look at the portfolio and ask for case studies. If you like some particular website by a design agency, make sure that the people who built this site are still working there and can take up your project.

It’s also a good idea to talk to the previous clients and ask about their experience of working with your prospective designer. If it’s possible, meet the designer in person and discus your project. Make sure that there’s interest in developing a good website and not just getting the money.

Homework is not the best thing in the world, but if you do it, it will pay off.

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