Here are some tips to keep in mind when searching for the right designer

From Stevesdomain.net

Searching for a designer? Finding the right web designer for your needs can be quite labored, and hopefully I can lend a hand in your endeavors. The most significant aspect of choosing a designer is choosing a 'designer'. Confused? Read on a bit.

Do not be suckered in by the front. There are many 12 year olds who are working from their computers in their basements that call themselves designers, but can tender little more than HTML. Don't be surprised if you find one with other language skills, but designing a web site involves both a deep and effective knowledge of design concepts and a quite compelling foundation for the employment of such concepts.

First off, look with an open mind, but at the same time, understand what you want. There is no need to pay over a $1,000 for an artless HTML site with a few images. If you need to implement a fairly advanced design or code concept, look for that concept. Do some research on that concept and know what to look for. Databases, for example, are real sizzling items on many web sites. Some database systems will only work, or work best, on one specific web server. Subscribing to a MySQL web designer when what you actually need is SQL Server will add a lot of stress and time before your site's launch. Don't be confused about the many web languages the designer might offer. Decerning what you need beforehand is utterly essential.

Besides knowing your specific needs, how do you know if the designer is worth it? First, look at the designer's own site. Does it liken well with other well-designed sites? Does it seem like this person knows what he/she is doing? I've seen a lot of "web designer's" web sites that simply look poor, at best, build with a careless effort, and know next to nothing about design concepts. Just because they assert to know Dreamweaver or Frontpage - or even HTML - does not mean they know web design. Take what's right in front of you - the designer's own site.

Also inspect their portfolio. Study the sites within the portfolio and see if one of the designer's former client's site demands are similar to yours. If you do encounter one, take a look at how the designer accomplished the respective needs. Do the sites look professional? You could try contacting one of the clients and ask how the designer was. Kind? Pushy? Helpful? Patient? A simple e-mail could make all the difference.

Another simple technique would be e-mailing the web designer. Tell them what you're looking for and ask if they could furnish what you're looking for. Take under consideration how long it takes the designer to reply and how courteous he/she was. Don't feel nervous about e-mailing the designer a couple times. If they want your business, they should at least appear more than willing to answer your questions and help in any way they can.

Be sure you know the difference between hosting and design. Web site design, what you're looking for, is programming and designing your site to look exactly what you want it to look like and making it do what you want it to do. Hosting is actually providing a means for your site to be online. Hosting services offer the much-needed service of domain hosting for your newly designed site. Two separate services and two separate payments.

Some services may offer both hosting and design. If this is the case, the designer will take a crack at getting your business with a nice cut-rate design price and make you pay a beefier hosting price, as they will ultimately make more with the hosting. Some services are perfectly legitimate and recognized, while others are simply too expensive for what they offer. Don't make a harefooted decision.