UX, Web & Brand design by Stuart Gamblen

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5 Essentials to Look for When You Hire a Freelance Web Designer

Looking to hire a freelance web designer can be painful, right?

You want to grow your business, acquire more customers and build a brand with the help of a new website and freelance website designer, but:

  • You’re unsure what to look for…
  • You’re worried results will not meet your expectations…
  • You’re concerned you’ll hire someone unreliable, or worse, untrustworthy…
  • You’ve had a bad experience in the past and don’t want to repeat it…

So how do you overcome these obstacles, make sure you hire the perfect freelance web designer and launch the ideal website that allows your business thrive?

You do it by looking for these these five essentials:

1. Design specialism

What service do you need specifically?

Do you need a bespoke website design? Or are you looking to build website squeeze and landing pages to effectively funnel traffic to specific services or products?

Do you require eCommerce and shopping cart functionality? Or do you need an efficient content management system that lets you maintain your site yourself?

Make sure you’re clear about exactly what freelance web design services you need and find a designer who is well-versed in that.

2. Design portfolio and experience

There’s no better way to gauge a designer’s talent than by viewing there design portfolio.

Visiting websites they have created will also allow you to study how well they’re designed and how effectively they work.

You may also want to check their about page for professional qualifications such as a degree in web or graphic design as well as previous employment.

But remember qualifications aren’t everything.

There’s really is little substitute for talent and real world experience. There are many incredible designers who have become a freelance web designer purely through self-tuition, passion and determination, so don’t rule them out. In fact, these quality’s are exactly what you want in a good designer.

3. Design process and revisions

Design can be subjective…

It’s not always possible for a designer to get a design exactly how you envision on first try. The greatest designers in the world have to develop and adapt their ideas to achieve the perfect solution for their client.

In fact, a good designer should be willing adapt for his client.

Great communication, flexibility, listening skills, adaptability and lack of ego are key traits to look out for in any professional freelance web designer.

So reserve some time to communicate your requirements and any potential tweaks and iterations. It’s part of the design process and achieving your perfect website.

Any try to remember to keep an open minded when it comes to your freelance designers ideas. They should be will to adapt but they’re also an experienced professional you’re paying for expertise.

Be sure to hire a web designer that does unlimited revisions until you’re satisfied with the results. Or one who only begins to charge extra after a reasonable number of revisions that you’ve both agreed upon upfront.

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4. Good value

How much a website costs depends on the type and size of the website you require your web designer to create.

So before you hire a freelance web designer, establish your budget and needs and compare that against the designer’s rates and payment basis (by-the-hour or project basis).

Remember though, price is not the same as value.

But, you often get what you pay for and spending a little more will often get you the better quality results you desire and avoid the headache of having to re-do things properly at a later date.

This is also where experience can come into play. A good, experienced designer can often produce a better result faster and be more cost effective, even if their hourly rate is higher when compared to another “cheaper” designer.

5. Happy clients

Lastly, you need to ensure that you can have a productive and harmonious working relationship with your chosen designer.

You can determine this by reviewing previous customers’ testimonials — find feedback on the designer’s conduct and professionalism, and how well he communicated with the client at different project stages.

If you really want to be sure you can get in contact with the freelancer’s previous clients. You should be able to easily find previous client details in their freelance web design portfolio. Although any competent web designer should be happy to give them to you.

It might seem like a hassle but it’s a simple phone call that can quickly ensure you’re getting a competent and reliable freelancer web designer who’s right for the job.

Pick The Perfect Freelance Web Designer for You

You’ll come across many professional freelance web designers offering their services. But when your business is on the line, you need to be extra discriminating with the professional you hire to create your business website.

Excellent web design from a skilled freelance professional will create credibility, trust, more engaged website users and improve your visibility in search engines, which will result in you acquiring more business from your website.

So choose your designer wisely!

Do you have a freelancer selection criteria of your own? Or do you have a question regarding the hire of a freelance web design services? Share your comments and insights below.

Want some help with your website?

Ready to get clear advice and direction from a professional, with no obligation? Book your complementary website discovery call here now