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Why Hire Professional Web Designers?

Are you curious about hiring a professional website designer? Consider that in 2015, web sales totaled $341.7 billion for that year and it has increased every year since then. This reminds us that if you want to have a successful business in today’s internet-driven market, you need to have an impressive online marketing presence.

website-maintenance-updates-eureka-california-humboldt-county-web-designer-services-marketingUp-To-Date Content
The internet has become ubiquitous and pretty much anyone with a smartphone, computer, or tablet is in a constant relationship with the content that makes up the internet. As a result, the rise of the internet-use has created an increasing demand for constantly updated content. In fact, it’s almost a requirement, to constantly be presenting new content or at the very least always have the most current content on your website.

The Proliferation of Business on the Internet
This brings us to our next point – the proliferation of the internet has created a surge in web designers ranging in all skill levels from amateur to experts. Our culture has also evolved and made the impersonal relationship between web designers and clients something that almost feels normal. This laissez-faire client-designer relationship has caused issues due to the ambiguity of web design as a service, the varied skill levels of web designers, and the constant scammers on the internet. These various issues have created a mistrust from consumers and damaged the reputation of honest, hard-working, and reputable web designers.

Key Features of Professional Web Designers
It isn’t hard for someone to call themselves a web designer – all you need is a text editor, an image manipulation program, and a little technical know how to upload the site to a server. Unfortunately, the average person wouldn’t be able to understand many of the differences between an amateur and professional aside from the visuals and functionality of the website. Let us reassure you though, there are SIGNIFICANT differences between a basic website and one created by a professional web designer. We believe that a good look at a web designer’s portfolio and education background will glean key insight about their competence in this industry.

If for no other reason, we have compiled a quick little list of things you should ask your web designer and get clear answers for because they will significantly shape your on-going relationship.

  • Hosting – How will it be set up? How much will it cost and how will it be billed (monthly/yearly)
  • Domain Registration – At the very least you should ensure this is set up with your information, should you decide to go with another web designer in the future this is the single most important aspect of your website that you should own.
  • Search Engine Optimization – What level of search engine optimization will you be provided? Will it be constantly updated and adjusted?
  • Website Analytics – What type of analytics will be measured on your site? How much thought will be put into this feature as it relates to your website? Will there be coordinated website updates to foster the improvement of conversion rates? How will SPAM be mediated?
  • Website Framework – There are many types of Content Management Systems out there so its important to determine which CMS System your designer will utilize for your website. Will You have access to it? Static websites are websites built from scratch, although they are very custom the price is typically a lot higher because of the inefficient way content is generated – you might want to consider encouraging your designer to use a CMS option or find a designer that can.
  • Website Maintenance – What type of maintenance is performed? How often is the maintenance performed? Do you constantly update the framework and make adjustments to ensure all the most up-to-date technology is in place? Do you keep my site current with the ever-changing coding standards for HTML, CSS, PHP, and Javascript? How is SEO Updated? How do you manage analytic data and SEO data to make website level adjustments that encourage conversions? What type of metrics are you able to generate in your metrics reports? Do you track website visitor visual interaction? How do you measure conversion rates? What measures are taken to secure a site? Do you have a system in place to restore my site if it should be hacked or get a virus? What security features do you implement to safeguard information?

We hope this has shed some insight on website maintenance and updates. Simply asking your potential web designers these questions should be able to help you weed out the amateurs and ensure you get a professional for your website.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]