web consulting, design & hosting
Web Design Articles: Happily Ever After—Tips on Choosing the Web Designer of Your Dreams!
Don't go around kissing toads!
Finding
a designer who meets your needs is easier if you know what your needs are. Start figuring them out! If
you select the first designer you find or (shudder) the cheapest, it's like kissing
toads in hopes of finding royalty. You may get lucky, but you'll probably just
get cranky.
A good place to start is by asking friends and colleagues if they have sites and who designed those sites. Even if your pal had a web design nightmare, hearing about those experiences can help you avoid the same mistakes.
You may also search for local business sites you like. If the designer's not listed on a site, send an email and ask who did the work. Although you're not limited to local designers, some prefer to work with a designer they can meet face-to-face. If hiring local help is important to you, there's always the good old phone book.
But remember, it's entirely possible to hire someone half a world away to design your site successfully. Most of my projects are actually done long distance and it works out very well. Just make sure you're comfortable with the designer and the arrangement.
When you have identified a few possible designers, go to each designer's site and note what you like and don't like.
Don't go around kissing toads!
