7 vital questions to ask a potential freelance website designer
There’s a lot of choice out there, everyone vying for your attention.
Different styles, different platforms, different timescales and budgets. With too much choice comes indecision.
Don’t let the hoards of freelance website designs stop you from acting.
The overwhelm of picking just one designer to commit to (and not cheat on) really shouldn’t stop you in your tracks from getting your brand out there (or giving it a new lease of life if you’re already well-instated).
To make the most informed decision, the designer needs to know about you and your long term goals.
It will then become apparent to them how to build a website that suits you down to the ground and fulfils your needs when it comes to spreading the word (of your brand) to a bigger audience, captivating them, and holding their hand down the road to brand loyalty.
These questions will help you understand who is best for the job and who will help you achieve the greatest outcome.
A website can transform how the world sees you, so make sure that your online presence is tailored to your business and unique situation.
7 VITAL QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR POTENTIAL FREELANCE WEBSITE DESIGNER.
1. “What will you expect of me throughout the design process?”
Think about how much input you want with the design process. Do you want to be involved with every design decision? Or are you happy for them to take the reins and run? See if the amount you want to be involved fits in with the processes and protocols of the designer.
Be wary with designers who need very little input from you - your website is the hub of your online presence and it needs to truly represent you. So if the designer isn’t going to be asking a lot of questions about your business goals and values, that might be a bit of a warning sign that the outcome may feel a bit generic.
2. “Will it cost me more to have a shop area or section for people to sign up to my mailing list?”
Make sure your designer knows what you want people to do once they get onto your website. This will help the designer understand if they need to add any third-party elements or integrations into the website.
If you want a shop, the designer will have to use a website designer/platform that has e-commerce functionality.
If you want to grow your email list, the designer will need to link up your Mailchimp/Mailerlite/Flodesk account, and possibly even a lead magnet.
If you want people to be able to book lessons or consultations on your website, the designer will need to integrate an online calendar, scheduling app or booking system.
Be sure to ask if this will be an extra cost, or if any of it is included in the package, so you don’t get a horrible shock when the final bill comes your way.
3. “What happens if I want to add/change something on my website after the website goes live?”
It’s really important to be clear from the get go what is included in your design package once the design is complete and you’ve hit that scary ‘publish’ button.
Ask your freelance website designer about any maintenance after the website has gone live. Often a couple of weeks’ support is included, post-launch.
Will you be forced to rehire the same designer if you need any changes made or content added in the future?
Or can they teach you the fundamentals of maintaining your website yourself?
4. “Have you worked with any other businesses from my industry/niche before?”
Does the person you're paying have industry-insiders knowledge?
If this designer-candidate has any previous experience with other brands and businesses, it is possible they’ll have an understanding of potential customers motivations, and how to get their attention.
If you don’t have a set of brand guidelines yet, or you aren’t 100% clear on your brand identity/target market, see if your website designer can help you with this. Again, sometimes it is included in the package.
Having a good understanding of the people you want to land on your website means your website can work harder to attract your dream customers/clients and will more effectively reel them in.
5. “Is there anything else that’s included/you can add as extra, that will help build a more cohesive brand aesthetic + online presence?”
A lot of freelance website designers pair their creative skills with something else, to add another string to their bow.
You’ll commonly see designers who can also help with graphic design, copywriting, search engine optimisation (SEO), photography or social media content.
Having one person take care of more than one aspect of your marketing can have a great impact on the cohesion and consistency of your brand.
They’ll also have more time and space to understand your motivations, long-term goals, target market and brand identity.
As a result, they are likely to have a better understanding of how to translate these defining factors into your website/logo/brand photos/copy/efforts to reach a wider audience with SEO.
If they only offer website services, a lot of designers will have recommendations of others with their own speciality that they can vouch for, so definitely ask if you need a bit more guidance in creating a holistic online presence.
6. “How many chances for revisions will I get at the end?”
If the first draft of the website design needs some tweaking, it is common that you’ll have 2 to 3 chances for revisions included in the design package.
Be sure to ask before you get started, just to be on the safe side. And ensure you’re making the most of these, as you’ll probably have to pay extra for anymore.
Communication is key: as a top tip to avoid excessive revisions, make sure you have a thorough consultation with the designer before they get started on the website.
The more you can communicate to them about your intentions, ideas, influences, website goals, target market and design/colour preferences, the less likely you are to need a lot of edits.
7. “When can you start + how long will it take?”
The start date of a project will depend on two factors: the designer’s availability and when you can get your content completed by.
In most cases, these freelance website designers will expect you to provide them with photos, text and an inspiration mood-board. If you are not able to get this over to them by the deadline, it is going to: 1) piss them off that they’ve got to wait 2) show the designer you aren’t serious about building this website, and 3) it means your launch date is going to be delayed - if the designer has blocked out time to work on your website, you’re likely to be going to the back of the queue.
On a side note, watch out if the designer says they can start straight away.
Be a bit wary of the reason as to why this may be: are they not popular? Are they unreliable hence why others are wary to book with them?
Just check out their portfolio and testimonials first, to see if they’ve got past clients to vouch for them.
make your website emotionally-intelligent
If you’re hiring a pro website designer, your new website will be aesthetically pleasing — so it’ll hook new prospects.
But that won’t motivate your readers to act. For THAT you need emotionally-intelligent copy.
