If you’re thinking about starting an eCommerce business, the first thing you need to do is get a website up and running. This can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be if you choose the right web designer. There are many different types of people out there claiming they can build your site but finding the right one is essential for success. Here’s what to look for when choosing a web designer:
Experience
It’s important to note that experience isn’t the only thing that matters. A web designer who has worked on a lot of different eCommerce websites and used various top eCommerce website builders, but none related to your industry, may not have the right skill set for you.
On the other hand, an experienced web designer who specializes in working with businesses like yours will be able to specialize their services for you and offer a higher level of expertise than someone with less experience in the field. Additionally, an eCommerce web design agency in Brisbane like Pixel is an interesting choice to consider when it comes to eCommerce development projects.
To evaluate whether or not someone has sufficient experience for your project, it’s best not just to look at how many years they’ve been doing this work—that doesn’t mean much if they’ve only been doing it part-time or don’t specialize in certain aspects of eCommerce design. Instead, look at what types of projects they’ve worked on before: how does their portfolio reflect those? Are there any specific types of sites or products that seem like a good fit for their skills?
Services
You should look for a web designer who offers a range of services. You may need help with things like designing the site, designing the logo, or even writing the content. Make sure that you hire someone that can help with all of these aspects of your business.
Specialities
When it comes to choosing a web designer, you’re going to want one who specializes in eCommerce websites. If you have any other specific requirements such as the type of eCommerce platform you want, or the kind of website design you prefer (storefront vs blog vs link collection), be sure to let your designer know that during the initial meeting.
Support and maintenance
Support and maintenance can be confusing topics for eCommerce businesses. Let’s break down some of the main questions to ask your web designer:
- What is the difference between support and maintenance? Support refers to troubleshooting issues that arise during business hours, while maintenance is scheduled to work that takes place outside of these hours.
- How much does it cost? Costs vary widely depending on a number of factors, but for most small business web design projects, you should expect somewhere around $200-$300 per month for basic technical support (including troubleshooting issues as they arise) and another $100-$200 per month for any scheduled or emergency maintenance work.
- Do you need technical support or just someone who will answer your questions? If all you want is someone who can answer your questions in real-time via email or phone call, then this may not be an issue at all! However if something breaks unexpectedly on their end and they’re unavailable until things are fixed tomorrow morning (or worse yet Friday afternoon), then having someone available now could really help ease those anxious feelings while waiting around wondering what’s going wrong with your website.
Communication
The first thing to look for in a web designer is their communication style. Do they respond quickly and clearly? Are they professional in their tone and language? Do they use appropriate punctuation, capitalization, and grammar in their emails and proposals?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then you may want to move on. It’s not that these qualities are mandatory for a good website design; but if this person isn’t good at communicating with you, it will be harder for them to get your vision across when creating your site.
Portfolio
You should look for examples of previous eCommerce projects that are similar to your own. If you’re planning on selling sporting goods, then it’s important to look at the portfolios of web designers who have worked on sites like Nike or Sports Authority in the past. You should also make sure that they have experience with eCommerce websites that are as recent as possible.
Finally, while it’s not necessary for a designer to have experience specifically with WordPress (the most popular CMS platform), you may want to ask about their familiarity with this type of code base if you’re going for a more complex design than simply building a store from scratch.
Price
The average cost of a website varies greatly depending on the developer and their skills. A more experienced web designer will charge more than a beginner, but you will get what you pay for in terms of quality and efficiency. For example, an entry-level website might cost anywhere from $500 – $1000 while an advanced custom-built site could range from $2000 – $5000 or more.
Moreover, web developers should always include hosting with their quote as it’s included in their monthly fees (usually about $20-$40/mo). If they don’t provide this service to you directly, then consider asking them how much it would be if you went elsewhere to buy your own hosting plan. The same goes for any necessary software licenses—make sure that these aren’t considered part of your monthly maintenance fee either.
Additionally, pricing depends on how often your site needs updates or changes and whether or not SEO is included in the package price (it usually isn’t), these costs are usually broken down into separate categories and added onto whatever else may be required over time such as content management websites (eCommerce platforms like Magento) which charge an annual fee based on usage rather than usage plus hosting charges combined into one monthly bill like most other CMS platforms do (WordPress being one exception).
Client testimonials
Look at the client testimonials on their website. If a designer has good reviews, this is a sign they are doing something right. You can go through their portfolio to see how they have designed websites in the past and what kind of work they do.
Furthermore, compare your budget with what other designers are charging for similar services and compare that with how much value you will get from them. This means comparing not just price but also quality which can be hard as both prices and quality vary wildly across different industries and professions.
Conclusion
Good web designers know what they’re doing. They can help you create the perfect website by taking your ideas and turning them into reality. Finding a designer that is right for you can be challenging, but it’s worth it when you have an amazing-looking site that works well and is easy to use.