Common Mistakes When Hiring a Web Designer
In one of our earlier blog posts, we discussed the reasons you should hire a professional web designer as opposed to taking the DIY route. However, there are some things to look out for when hiring a professional web designer and these are mistakes you don’t want to make. It can be tough hiring someone to build your site, especially if you’re completely unaware of everything that goes into building a site – this makes it easy for professional website designing firms to take advantage of people who know little about websites. Fusion Group USA makes sure that at every step of the process, we explain exactly what you’ll get and we consult you regularly during the design process. We also make sure you understand the fees so there are no surprises. If you decide to go with Fusion Group USA to build your site, you won’t have to worry about making these mistakes, but just in case here are 5 common mistakes when hiring a web designer.
- Paying too much or too little.
Don’t be tempted by seemingly cheap website designs and don’t be tricked into paying an exorbitant amount of money for your site. If you find a designer that is willing to design a fantastic website for a super cheap price, then it’s probably too good to be true and you will get exactly what you pay for. Be sure they offer samples of what they are offering and that you will be able to be in touch regularly with an account rep or the designer. Your site is your online storefront, and it’s important to put your best image out there. On the flip side, you don’t want a designer that is charging an outrageous amount of money for a run-of-the-mill site. If they charge you a setup fee, an additional monthly fee, and a hosting fee they’re probably taking advantage of you. With Fusion Group, you’ll pay a setup and once paid off, the site is all yours. We charge a yearly hosting fee and this takes care of editing, webs pace, bandwidth, email services, etc. Always remember, you get what you pay for.
- Not considering monthly maintenance and updates.
So you took the leap and had a website designed. What if you want to change anything or update your site at any point? It’s important to talk to the web designer about what they can do for you for regular maintenance. Fusion Group USA has hosting plans that you pay yearly, and depending on how much updating and changes you intend on making on a monthly basis we can provide a plan that is perfect for you. Don’t get stuck with a site that you can’t update or have to pay additional to have updated regularly in addition to your hosting.
- Not asking about SEO or Social Media Management.
Educate yourself on SEO! It’s important to understand at least the basics of SEO and what it entails. SEO depends a lot on how your site is built and your content – if you are just looking for basic SEO, you shouldn’t be tricked into paying an additional monthly fee. When going over the basics of your website, be sure to mention SEO and ask what would be best for your site. Fusion Group USA includes basic SEO in our packages, and depending on the website package you get you could get more features that could boost your SEO. Another thing to talk to your website designer about is social media management. Is this something you’re interested in doing yourself or something that you don’t mind paying additional for? Be sure you don’t get roped into Social Media Management if it’s not something you want.
- Using a free website builder.
We discussed this in an earlier blog post about why you should hire a web designer. If you know nothing about website design, do not try to do it yourself. You will spend time, effort, and money on something that may not even show up online properly. In addition to this, you may spend all that time and effort on the website only to realize that later on you will have to either redo it yourself or hire someone. If you decide to change hosting or want to take it elsewhere, a lot of online web builders make this hard to impossible. It’s better to be safe rather than sorry, so just hire a web designer from the get go.
- Always be on the lookout for hidden fees!
Make sure the web designer or account representative you are talking to about your website explains exactly what you are getting completely. They should give you a professional estimate that outlines what you will be getting and what the price will be – also be sure you know when things will be paid and whether you will have monthly or annual fees. Sometimes people will get locked into something that they were not aware of when they started the process. All of a sudden you are paying a crazy monthly fee for “SEO” when in reality, this wasn’t even necessary. Be an educated consumer when it comes to your website and be sure you understand exactly how much you are paying and when you are paying for it. Plus, you want to make sure that once the site is paid off, that you own it! Don’t get tricked into a contract that states once you stop paying a monthly fee, the whole website is gone. You should own your site and you should have the freedom to take it elsewhere for hosting, etc.
Just like with anything we buy, we should be knowledgeable about what we are getting into with website design. You should be in control of the process and know exactly what you’re going to get for your money. At Fusion Group USA, we make sure that you are part of the process and that there are no surprises when it comes to your website design. If you want to avoid these common mistakes, give us a call to get started on your website design today!
