The freelance web designer that you trust with the creation of your new site will naturally have a huge responsibility on their hands – you will want to be sure you have chosen someone who will design a site that looks good, is easy to navigate, gives a great user experience and converts your visitors to clients.
In short, you will need someone who is an all-round package – which means keeping an eye out for the following five characteristics.
1. A well-rounded portfolio
Does the portfolio of your favoured freelance web designer show an ability to design attractive and compelling sites for a wide range of businesses and individuals, both inside and outside your sector? Do the designs represent those businesses well, tell their story and build brand credibility?
Over the last decade I have designed and built over 180 websites.
2. In-depth web design knowledge
A strong and sustained track record as demonstrated by their portfolio will naturally go some way to convincing you that a given freelance web designer is the right one for you. There is no greater endorsement than genuine client testimonials.
It’s also a good idea to peruse that designer’s own website and talk to them directly to get a sense of their design savvy and technical expertise on things like accessibility. It is vital that your site will truly look great and function well on all platforms.
3. Passionate about working with you
Does the freelance web designer ‘get’ you or your company? Do they understand what you most urgently want to achieve with your new website, and are they full of ideas for how they can make that possible for you? Are they demonstrating that they have fully read your brief and are they excited about your project?
A freelance web designer who is genuinely passionate about the opportunity to work with you is someone who is also invested in the project and the success of your site. This increases the likelihood of them delivering great results.
4. Time management skills
The freelance web designer that you are considering may claim to be punctual, but if they do provide you with a portfolio of past clients, you might want to contact some of those clients to determine whether the designer actually delivered good work by the deadline.
5. Affordability
Determining which freelance web designer makes the most financial sense for you isn’t simply a case of requesting quotes from four or five designers and selecting the lowest. You should also have a sense of what each quote includes, and what implications that is likely to have for your final site.
When you choose a freelance web designer you will want be satisfied with their credentials in all of the aforementioned areas. Only then can you feel completely confident to move forward.
Feel free to click through to learn more about my web design process, or get in touch with me directly. I’d love to hear about your project.
