If you’ve decided against designing your site yourself because of time (or talent) constraints, and you don’t want to buy a template that fifty other people are using too, your best option is to hire a professional web designer. Choosing one is a complicated business and the process should not be rushed, but here are a few tips to get you on the right track.

A good way to start is to do a search for other people’s sites in the same field as you. Have a look at the top ranking ones and pick out a few that you like; then, email the webmasters to find out which designers they used. High-ranking sites are probably designed by professionals who know how to optimise for search engines, so they are the ones to look up first.

When you’ve got the contact details of a designer, ask him or her what their three most successful projects have been. Take a good look at these and see where they rank in the search engines. Get a feel for the work that the designer is proud of.

Compare prices, but don’t just opt for the cheapest option; you probably don’t need lots of flashy multimedia features, but select someone who has a good track record and customer reputation. If, when they hear your deadline, they tell you they’re too busy to meet it, that’s a good sign. Change your deadline. It’s better to have a great site in the long term than one that was churned out very quickly but which ends up being difficult to navigate or that attracts hardly any visitors.

By Natalie Catchpole

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