So, you’ve got the Great Idea. Your strategy is laid out. On your checklist is getting a website done. Problem: you don’t know how to do web design. And you won’t trust the job to your colleague’s goofy son. So what one you do to get a nice-looking site up and running quickly?

1. Hire A Pro.

Pro web designers are to amateurs what contractors are to DIY enthusiasts. You don’t let DIYers loose on important parts of your enterprise. They may do the job badly, leading you to hire professionals to fix what the amateurs did wrong.

Hire a professional who can give you reasonable rates, a realistic timetable and most importantly, offer clever suggestions you didn’t consider when you started the job.

2. How To Find One.

Pro web designers can be found via search engines, on forums and on freelance websites. The latter have rating systems. These give a good idea of quality. However, check just what the designer is being ranked on. Some do 30 little jobs and garner good ratings. That doesn’t mean they’ll be good enough to code your ecommerce website with a shopping cart and forum. Find someone who’s done the work before.

3. Clearly State What You Want Done.

Many designer-client problems stem from thin specs and unspoken assumptions. You’ll save money if you set out, in detail, what you want done and what you don’t want done. It’s a smart move to point to examples of other people’s work and say: “I want that feature from that site and this feature from this other one”.

What you need is a contract. A document that describes what’s required of both parties in the deal. This could save you a lot of argument later. Keep this short and sweet. An email, with simple contents, can be a contract. You just state:

What you want done;
When you want it done by;
Who you want to do it;
How much you want to pay for it and
How you are going to pay.

If either party fails on these particulars then the contract is broken.
If some of the work is confidential then an NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) may be necessary. You should only use this if there truly is commercially sensitive information involved.

4. How Much Should It Cost?

Web designers charge for price-work or by the hour. By the latter I mean you decide in advance how much in total you’ll pay for the total job. I think this is the best way. It avoids escalations in costs. However, the designer is within his rights to say “No more” if he did what you asked but not what you intended i.e. you thought you wanted X but what you realised you needed, halfway through the project, was Y. And then Y + 1.

In this case, the designer has the right to demand more money or time. Or both. This returns to point 3, above. ‘Be clear in advance about exactly what you want done’.

5. How Should I Pay?

Pay in stages. A deposit up front, then in three or four stages according to the amount payable and the amount of work done. This means you don’t get ripped off for a large amount upfront and the designer is motivated to continue with the job. Give him a bonus if he does a good job. He’ll be delighted and you may make a friend!

Author Bio: Want to read more? Go to http://www.yourwebfixer.com and then ‘phone Tommy. Tommy offers website help and business consultant advice from in London, Great Britain. He has 12 year’s experience in commissioning websites, software and services and understands how to get work done fast and to a high standard.

Category: Internet
Keywords: web design,website help,web designer,web,internet