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Choosing a web site designer

Be wary when choosing a designer — there are many who claim to be qualified but have no real experience. Obviously you should ask to see some examples of previous work. You should also ask if the designer is able to do the following:

Manually write HTML code
Manually write Cascading Style Sheets
Work with languages such as JavaScript and PHP
Create meta-tags and optimise for search engines
Create forms and other interactive content

Even if you don't need these things for your website, any half-decent web designer will have these skills, so it's a good way to make sure they are competent. If they are lacking in any of these areas, they probably aren't qualified to work on your website.

Ask if they use software to create web pages. Designers need graphics software to create and modify images, but as a general rule, professionals write their own codes. They don't use programs such as Dream Weaver, MS Frontpage, and certainly not MS Publisher. If they do, you should consider the possibility that they are not sufficiently qualified.

In your discussions, attempt to determine if they understand how users will interact with your site's content. Often, visitors do not use web pages the way designers think they do. Some designers put more focus on creating a flashy site and delivering your message effectively is more of an afterthought. The message you are communicating is far more important than how the web site looks. You want a design that draws attention to the message - a design that will serve your web site visitors rather than dazzle them.

Consider this - let's say you order a pizza and the delivery guy shows up in a $400,000 motor home. The delivery guy sees that you're impressed and gives you a tour of his castle-on-wheels. You check out furniture, the appliances and the really cool sound system - but guess what? The pizza is getting cold and maybe you've forgotten why you ordered it in the first place. You don't want visitors to forget their purpose for going to your web site. An unattractive web site can cause visitors to miss the message too!

Ask designers how they will approach the construction of your site. How will they go about determining your needs? Will you be consulted during construction? How often? What happens if you don't like their design?

Be clear about who owns the site. Some designers like to retain copyright, but in our opinion the site should belong to you no with conditions at all. And while on the subject of ownership, it's best if you register your own domain name. If questions of ownership arise after your web site becomes know, you can always obtain a subsitiute web site, but changing an established address is not quite as easy. Think of your domain name as being your Internet address for life. It's best if you claim ownership from the very start. Registering a domain name is an easy and inexpensive process.

Last but not least, ask about cost. Find out what you will be getting for the money you spend. Don't be sucked in by cheap quotes — they usually mean that something is missing. On the other hand, if you are quoted more than a few thousand dollars you should expect a stunning result — most websites can be made for less than this. Also ask about the cost of upgrades.

Matthew Barbour has been writing professionally for more than 30 years. He has written news and advertising copy for radio and television and his work has appeared in a variety of publications. He also produces creative text for web sites at Dundas Web Internet Services.