Working with a web design professional should be a seamless and rewarding process. Unfortunately, however, there are increasing numbers of designers engaging in poor design practices who are simply looking to make easy money from new or inexperienced business owners.
Research is essential before making any important business decision and it is critical to think carefully before making any investments into your digital presence.
Being aware of the potential pitfalls of working with web designers is imperative. Here are four things to consider when you are thinking about designing or redesigning your most important digital asset.
1 Contractual lock-in with disreputable web design professionals
A website is an investment; you should never find yourself in the position of being stuck in a costly contract that isn’t delivering a solid return on your investment (ROI). There are many designers and agencies out there charging exorbitant fees for ongoing maintenance and support services.
It is important to be aware of these practices to ensure that you avoid signing an unnecessarily long contract that simply doesn’t deliver the support your business needs at a reasonable price.
When choosing a supplier, it’s important to consider that one day you may want to part ways. Make sure that your chosen designer doesn’t make that unnecessarily difficult.
2 Copied templates may be sold as a custom design
There has been an increase in web designers purchasing cheap templates, making a few superficial adjustments and then passing them off as a bespoke website. All too often, the people engaging in these practices have little knowledge of web development and won’t be able to offer any meaningful ongoing support.
Being aware of these practices is essential to avoid investing a large sum of money into a design; only to realise that your site looks like hundreds of others that are also using the same theme.
3 Paying too much for free services
There are many free services, such as Google My Business, that will play a crucial role in the online success of your business. Although these services are often free and you may not have the time to set them up yourself, there are some web designers charging unreasonable fees to integrate these features into their work. These unnecessary costs can quickly mount up, causing your already significant investment to end up costing your business even more.
4 Poor creative visions can compromise the integrity of a responsive website
You should work with an experienced and knowledgable web designer; but that doesn’t mean that you should have to relinquish full creative control. Remember, this is your business. Although listening to your design team is important; it is crucial that you are happy with your website and that you have had the opportunity to make all the final decisions.
You and your designer should share a clear creative vision. If you don’t – you’ll be disappointed with the outcome and your website may not do everything you need it to.
In a competitive marketplace, you need to stand out for the right reasons. If you and your designer don’t see eye to eye; your website’s quality will be compromised and won’t be in the best position to deliver for your business.
At Casper Creative, we believe in building long-term relationships with our clients, based on trust. We want to continue to grow. And for that to happen; our clients need to be happy with the services and support we provide. After all, if you’re happy with us – you’re more likely to recommend us to friends and colleagues.
If you’re not completely happy with your current provider and would like to talk to us, get in touch.
