How to Find the Best Website Designer for Your Small Business - "Insider" advices

For small service businesses looking to create (or redesign an existing) website that stands out from the competition, hiring an experienced web designer is key. In this guide, you'll find tips on how to choose the best designer for your needs, budget and peace of mind

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According to the website Answerthepublic , how to find the best designer for my website is one of the most frequent question people ask about web design and it is easy to understand why.

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Entrusting the design and build of your website to a partner is a high stakes decision that people don't lightly because:

It touches to the core of their business & image
It involves a significant investment in time, energy and money
It Impacts directly the business baseline (more sales)

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In other words, nobody wants to get this wrong...

But how exactly do you find the perfect web designer for your service website? Here are some insider advices from 15+ years in this industry, as a web agency owner, freelancer and client

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There is no one-size-fits-all solution

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The idiom one-size-fits-all describes an item, situation, or policy designed to accommodate a large amount of people. When talking about web design (and consulting services in general), there is definitely no one-size-fit all solution: what worked perfectly for a competitor could be a totally disaster for you. Talking about size (yes sometimes it matters) , there is definitely something important to keep in mind when researching: favor partners who play in the same size range as you.

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Let's say you are a 3 people company, you are likely to get a better service from a freelancer / small structure who will view your project as strategic and top priority, when a 100+ people agency will see it as a way to avoid idle resources.

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There is also the question of communication: larger structures operate with process that can be rigid and lengthly when smaller structure tend to be more reactive

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Define Your goals & Research

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This one seems pretty obvious: before you start searching it, you need to define what you are looking: if your objective is, let's say, to generate leads with your website, then it is a good idea to make SEO & conversion a key requirement for your search, if it is about building a luxury brand, look for someone who knows the industry codes and has a visual style matching them, if it is about educating an audience, look for copywriting experience...

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Do some research. Look around and take note of sites with similar businesses as yours. What elements do they have that impress and draw you in? Great design, great content? Take note of things you like, as this will help you when communicating what you want from a potential designer.

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For this purpose, it is really useful to create a Mood board from the screenshots, images and ideas you collect during your research ( I recommend to use Miro, a free tool for this exercise). This will also help the designer to appreciate what you like

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Ask for Recommendations

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Asking around for recommendations is the most direct way to find the best website designer for your small business and don't forget to ask about the project context and challenges (the closer to yours the best).

When people give a recommendation, that engage a bit their responsibility (they don't want to look bad in your eyes) so they won't do it lightly. That is why recommendations are precious

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A good place to ask for recommendation is LinkedIn to leverage your 1st and 2nd level connections

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Look into Their Portfolio and Testimonials.

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Thanks to your research and recommendations, you have now a shortlist of potential web designers and it is time to go more into the details and focus your attention on 2 elements:

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Portfolio

Portfolio are designer's business cards and resume at the same time: it is an original creation (it should be) featuring the web designer best work and it gives you good cues about the designer visual style and the kind of projects he/she has experience with

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Clients testimonials

Read through the clients testimonials to get insights about the designer strength and way of working - pay special attention to testimonials given by people who have something in common with you: the challenge, the business size, the industry...

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Both of these elements are extremely helpful to determine if the designer is the right fit - this can be confirm during a first discovery call

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Identify If They Understand Your Goals and Requirements.

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This is usually done during a discovery call that happens on the designer's initiative after being contacted. The objective of this call is to explain the project, the challenges associated and the requirements. Pay special attention to the questions asked, and if the designer makes the effort to clarify and reformulate your answers. A great discovery call often translates into a detailed and on point business proposition

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Consider Their Technical Expertise, Payment Structure, and Availability.

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Finally you should consider the practical aspects of the project such as the budget, delay and payment calendar and check you are comfortable with them. It is always good to ask the web designer to share his/her more relevant experience to your situation

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You successfully completed a project with a designer? Don't break the virtuous circle and leave an accurate review of your experience. This will help others also make the right choice