All Phoenix web designers do the same things, right?
We can understand why so many new potential clients come to
us thinking that. From the outside, all kinds of creative firms and web design
agencies seem to be producing similar work. Do a little bit of window shopping
on Google and you can come away with the impression that it doesn’t really
matter which company, team, or professional you hire.
That’s not the case, though, and it’s much better if you
know that going into the web design process rather than figuring it out at the
end. In fact, there are a handful of skills you definitely want your web designer to have if you’re going to be
happy with your investment in the coming months and years.
In order to give you a sense of what these skills are, and
why they are so important, let’s look at seven that make a huge difference…
#1 Your Web Designer
Should be a Good Interviewer
It can be hard for business owners and executives to understand,
but the most important part of the web design process occurs when we ask
questions. Having built hundreds of websites, we can always come up with
something that’s professional and eye-catching. But to come up with the perfect
layout for a specific company, we have to know a lot about its culture,
customers, and future plans.
For all of these reasons, it’s important for your web
designer to have strong interviewing and listening skills. If they only get a
general sense of what your company does, then your website is going to end up
looking like all the others that are in the industry. That might not
necessarily be a terrible thing, but it’s not going to give you the value or
branding advantage you were looking at or hoping for, either.
#2 You Need a Web
Designer Who Understands Clarity and White Space
As the world of web design has grown up and the list of
things we can work with has increased, you may have noticed an interesting
trend: most companies are using simpler sites than they were before. This isn’t
an accident or coincidence. Most of your customers aren’t looking for bizarre
artistic shapes. Instead, they want to find the information they’re looking for
quickly.
We’ve seen again and again that buyers will spend lots of
time on a website that’s clear and focused with a great deal of white space
separating one topic or text block from the next. They’ll quickly click away
from a page that seems too busy, no matter how interesting the artistic
features are. When hiring a web designer, think in terms of marketing power and
usability first and cutting-edge avante' garde inspirations later.
#3 You Should Only
Hire a Web Designer Using a Responsive CMS
It’s amazing, but we still see companies putting new websites online that aren’t
responsive, compatible with mobile devices, or using content management
systems. That means those pages won’t display correctly for more than half of
all online visitors, and can’t easily be updated or expanded.
Hopefully, you don’t need us to tell you that a website
lacking what are considered standard features in today’s world isn’t going to
improve your image or marketing results. If your web designer tries to suggest
something that doesn’t incorporate the basics of what you would expect in 2018,
then they aren’t saving you time or money, they are costing you sales and
credibility.
#4 You Want a Web
Designer With Great Coding Skills
It’s easy to forget when you’re looking at beautiful
designs, but the way your website looks is only half of the equation. If you
really want it to stand out, and to make you money, then it needs great
functionality under the hood. In other words, it has to do things for you, your
customers, and maybe even your employees or partners.
Within the industry, we talk about programs in terms of “web
development.” And, if you’re serious about using your next web presence as a
business tool, then you should work with a creative team that can do more than
change the dimensions of your home page photo. Good artistic instincts help you
get a customer’s attention for a few minutes, but strong coding is what saves
time and makes money.
#5 Your Web Designer
Should Have a Plan to Promote Your Business
No matter how wonderful your next website is, and what it
can do, no one is going to find out about it unless it’s promoted with search
engine optimization, social media marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and
other promotional channels. There are just too many competitors out there, and
many of them are already entrenched in Google’s listings and within social
networks like Facebook.
Too many new clients come to us thinking that online
marketing requires a huge outlay of cash, or that can bring measurable results.
A good web designer is going to have a plan to help you promote your site. That
plan is going to be tailored to your specific market, and will match your
budget and real-world expectations. It might be the most important part of the
design and development process, so don’t work with anyone who can’t help you
attract visitors and customers after your site goes online.
#6 Choose a Web
Designer Who Can Help With Content Creation
In today’s digital marketing world, content is everything.
Content is what brings Google’s automated spiders to your pages and turns them
into search engine visits. Content can help you attract a social following,
build a strong online reputation, and sell more products and services. It can
be turned into blog posts, tweets, online videos, and so much more.
Unfortunately, most business owners and managers struggle
with content creation. They know it matters, but they hate the process of
coming up with ideas, outlining their thoughts, and then writing them into
articles or scripts. For that reason, you should work with a web designer who
can assist with content creation (either in-house or through the use of
contractors). They’ll help you realize all those benefits without putting a
strain on your schedule or imagination.
#7 Your Web Designer
Needs to Work With Analytics
The way a website goes from good to great is through
continuous improvement. Search engine visibility gets better, conversions
increase, and little things (like content and calls to action) get more and
more effective as information comes in. That information isn’t found in your
gut feelings, though. It has to come from web analytics.
By studying the statistics generated by your website, you
can watch as visitors arrive on your site, interact with your pages, and then
take action in response. Look at enough of those actions over the course of
days and weeks and you can figure out what buyers want more or less of.
If you’re like most of the people we work with, you love the
power of analytics but hate searching for the data you actually need. That’s
where your web designer comes in. They should meet with you regularly to assess
the information that’s on hand and make smart recommendations that improve your
profitability going forward.
Want to Work with the
Best in Phoenix Web Design?
At Kinetik IT, we have helped dozens of small businesses
throughout the area with web design, online marketing, and even technical
support. When you hire us you aren’t just getting a web presence that serves
your company – you’re getting a committed team of experts who know how to
translate ideas and campaigns into bottom line success.
If you need your next website to generate sales, reduce
costs, and make your company run more smoothly, then you need an experienced
team with the right design and development expertise. Get in touch with us
today so we can set up a free consultation, and show you exactly what we’ve
been able to do for other businesses just like yours!