Its evolution. Simply put, every business needs a web site, for several reasons. If you are asking this question, you already know your business will need a web site, or it needs a new web site. Now it’s time to find the designer.

Before you even go looking for a web designer, site down and determine what you need, what you want, and what you can afford. You know what kind of business you have (or will have) and you know what you what to offer people from your web site. Determine if you need a brochure site to promote your business or an e-commerce site to sell your products, and what types of add-ons you want (blog, newsletter, user accounts, forums, podcast, audio/video, Flash). The more you need + the more you want = the more it will cost.

Next you need to determine if you want to use a local company or designer or if you are okay with global pros working on your project. Both have benefits.

Local
You can go into the office with your notes jotted down and meet with a real liver person to discuss what you need and find out what they can do and have done. If they have a local office, it means they have been around for awhile and will likely remain. You can check credentials and Better Business Bureau lists to ensure they are professional. But they are likely to charge more as it costs a lot to run an office. They may also only work with larger budgeted sites.

Global
No limits. You can find a web designer anywhere in the world. And the costs can vary widely from super cheap to extremely pricey. You can go for a large company or a single person. But be careful, sometimes not everything is as it seems. You may find yourself dealing with a 1 man operation when you thought you were dealing with a large corporation. When choosing a global pro, be sure to look at everything they have done and ask as many questions as you can to determine the legitimacy. Make sure you know who they are and what they can do with you.

Once you know what you are looking for, it is time to begin your search. Go to Google or your favorite search engine and do a search for what you need. Do not go with the very first result. click on every listing for the first few pages so you get a good feel for these types of sites.

First Impression
Once you have seen them all, narrow your search by choosing the ones whose sites you liked best. This is important because if you are unhappy th the site they use, you may not be happy with the site they give you.

Professional
After narrowing it down, investigate the sites. Go through every page, make sure everything works and there are no obvious typos. If they are thorough and professional about their own site, they will be with yours.

Portfolio
Make sure they have a portfolio and client list available on their site, and make sure it is current. If the portfolio looks like it has not been updated in years, the company may no longer exist. Check all the sites they have done to ensure they are professional, and make sure they have some designs you like.

Qualifications
After looking through the portfolio make sure there are sites in the portfolio or client list that they have done sites that have the same features you need on your site. If they have never done anything like what you need, it may be because no one asked, but more likely because it is not something they can do.

Contact
All companies provide you with ways to contact them. With global pro’s there is not always a brick and mortar office, so contact will usually be via email. This is fine, but it is always better when a company provides a phone number as well. You may never call, but it is always good to know there is a number incase you need it. When you do contact a company, ensure they respond to you in a timely manner. Waiting 2 or 3 business days is not acceptable. If they make you wait on the initial contact, image how long you would wait when working with them.

RFQ
Every company should offer you a free request for quote. Send an email to several companies outlining what you need, and what you want. You may want to keep your project budget under wraps until you hear back from the quotes. you may be shocked at the quotes, or you may be pleasantly surprised.

Once you have a few quotes in you can see what the budget looks like and you can now determine who to work with. Determine who has the best sites, can do the most, and do it for the best price. Once you have that, your ready to roll on your new site.

If you have doing all that right now and want me to quote for you, click here.

Thanks

Myles O’Reilly
Creative Compulsions
http://www.creativecompulsions.com

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Graphic design is an essential part of every marketing plan. It can greatly increase the professional look of your business, or express your bands creative style. Right from the first glance it will leave an impression.

Finding the right design company or freelance designer, can be a little daunting if you do not know what to look for. I am a freelance designer and I could simply end here saying you want to use me. However, I would rather you choose me only after you are informed and know what you need to know.

Portfolio
Every designer must have a portfolio, both printed and online. This is how they sell themselves, by showcasing their work. The better the designer, the larger the portfolio will be. It may contain work they have created for themselves, or just for fun, but should be largely comprised of work they have done for their clients. Look over a designers portfolio and see what they have done, and more importantly, see if the work they have done, is the type of work you are looking for. If you see wild designs for bands, but need a corporate marketing package, you should probably keep looking.

Quality
If your looking for a graphic designer, it means your looking to have something done right. Make sure when looking at a portfolio you see professional quality graphics. Graphics that sell you on what they were supposed to. If you see poor quality images put together or basic clip art graphics being used in a portfolio, then that is likely what you will get as well.

Price
Price is a big issue with everyone. You could say “You get what you pay for” or you could say “You get more than you could have hoped for”. Getting the lowest price does not always mean getting the least work. IF you choose to use a large company, expect to pay more. If you are going with a freelance designer, expect to pay less. The best way to determine if the price is right, is to check the portfolio, then request a free quote. Compare the quote to the quality of work in the portfolio. If you see good work, and a good price, you have a good designer.

Background / References
After you have looked into the portfolio and are happy with the price and quality, check into the background of the company or designer. If you intend to have more than 1 project done or are looking to start up a long term project, it is important to check and see how long the designer has been around, if they have any other long term repeat clients. This way you can ensure they will be around for the duration of your project and an future need you may have.

Response Time
It is important that a designer responds to your requests and queries as soon as possible so you know you are important to them. If they take days to respond to your email or voice mail, they are either too busy to work with you, or are simply not very professional. Either way, they are not for you.

Efficiency & Clarity
Make sure the designer is able to understand what you are looking for. Nothing worse than have a mental picture of what you need, only to get back samples that are so different you wonder what went wrong, and need to explain it again. A good designer will read your needs, confirm everything with you and ask question or provide suggestions before any work will begin.

These are all important points to consider when choosing the right graphic designer. It may take some time to find the right one, but if you do your homework, you will get the right product for the right price from the right designer.

IF you have any questions about this article, or would like to request a free quote from me, click here.

Thanks

Myles O’Reilly
Creative Compulsions
http://www.creativecompulsions.com

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