Designing an effective website for your Oxford business can be tough – which is why you are looking for a professional web designer to handle the job. A web designer does the hard work so you don’t have to. It is an effective solution so you end up with a website that works hard for your business.
But choosing a web designer is not something you can rush into. If you pick a person or firm that is not a good fit for your needs you end up spending money, and experiencing stress, that you don’t need. To start you on the process of deciding on the best designer for your needs, here are the things you need to consider before you make your shortlist.
- The Company’s Experience
It is important to know that the web designer or company you are looking at has enough experience in design, and is well-established so that you know you will get a good service. A good number of years in business mean that a web design company is familiar with all aspects of web design and has happy clients. A well-established firm means that they will be familiar with working to deadlines and can communicate well with clients. You could also ask how many clients they have, and how many employees, as well as discovering how many years in business.
- The Cost
Oxford web design companies vary in price, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you are quoted different amounts by different people. There is the temptation to immediately go for the cheapest option, but when it comes to something like web design this can be a false economy. The cheapest sites almost always come without any customisation or consultation, and you will be left with an out-of-the-box site that may work but which will not enhance your business’s reputation. Of course, you always need to work within a budget but it is worth remembering that you get what you pay for in many cases.
- The Method of Update
Find out whether you can update the site yourself as you get new content or want to edit existing content. This will be through what the web designer calls the content management system (CMS). You need a CMS that you, or the person working on the website on a day to day basis, can easily navigate and use.
- The Level of Support
This is especially important if you are looking for a website with complex elements, or you want to design something bespoke. A good website is many-layered, and if there is something you don’t understand you need to be able to speak to someone or have your concerns resolved. A good web designer allows for open communication between the two of you.
