Hiring a Swansea web designer? Read these 4 money-saving tips
Sounds familiar? After resisting hiring a Swansea web designer and having a friend build your business website, you finally have a new homepage…
It’s not shiny and has one problem…
It is dull and unfriendly…
You’ve reconsidered and decided to hire a professional web designer.
Good call!
- Are you curious about the web design process and its outcomes?
- Have you considered unplanned events during design?
Site design isn’t easy. Several variables go into developing a coherent user experience that captivates customers and imprints your brand in their minds. Your friend’s website seems old on purpose.
Let’s look at web design, what goes into it, what to expect, and the most common mistakes we’ve seen clients make in all our years in the industry.
What is web design?
Pixel manipulation is the art of web design. Web user interface design goes beyond what you see in your browser. Website designers frequently know graphic design, illustration, user experience, psychology, and digital marketing.
Your designer will construct your website’s appearance and feel and, sometimes, its content. Website “appearance” and “layout” refer to page organisation. Appearance comprises colours, fonts, typography, graphics, and visual narrative. Good web design showcases your business or product in a visually appealing and user-friendly way while adhering to your branding requirements.
Is responsive web design the same as web design?
Web design extends beyond desktop browsers. Website designers also design for smartphones and tablets. Since 2010, responsive websites have been prevalent for good reason. Mobile usage has skyrocketed as more people go online. 55% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices.
Since mobile users are increasingly widespread, a qualified web designer will prepare your responsive website design in advance and may be included in your fee. You must inquire. Responsive web design eliminates user-facing sites. It’s a design process that integrates mobile, tablet, and desktop user experiences. These three platforms will be merged to provide one easy-to-manage codebase.
Do web designers provide benefits?
Designers studied design and colour theory for years and know user needs and unconscious patterns we all fall into. They represent brands online. Web designers prioritise consumer needs.
Web designers may help your company achieve its creative goals in many ways. If you think you wasted your money, don’t worry. Working with a competent freelancer or agency team will change your perspective on your organisation.
Web design process
Your designer will follow several steps to ensure a consistent site design. A web design method organises a project into phases.
Typical web design process checklist
This checklist covers “standard” web design. A standard website design technique doesn’t apply to all clients. This is an excellent place to start to get a sense of what to expect and how things work. Each company will have different services, goods, and website-building methods.
Client objectives
Understanding your needs.
Project scope
Understanding your needs, current user demographics, and goals, your web designer will define the project scope and deliverables.
Sitemaps
Before pixels are produced, sitemaps will outline the new website structure.
Content production
Great content drives a great business story. Your designer will start putting everything together now.
Review
You should have time to review, make recommendations, and obtain a few modifications. Expect little updates.
Sign off
Approve site design changes and approve updated designs.
Conclusion
Website design goes beyond aesthetics. A well-planned, user-centred experience must be executed. Your Swansea web designer will use web design to create a genuine experience that supports your business goals.
4 Money-saving web design tips
Hiring a web designer involves more than simply arranging boxes on the page. Data-driven website designers will include key data points in the design.
1. Audience research
Can your website designer create exceptional aesthetics without considering the audience? Yes, but can they succeed?
A Swansea website designer examines your requirements, analyses your competitors, and develops an accessible and appealing user experience.
Researching your audience and studying their demographics might help your designer build a customised user experience. Doing this yourself saves the designer a lot of time.
2. Create a specification sheet
You may be wondering what a specification sheet is.
Relax. It’s not that hard. A specification sheet describes your requirements for your website. Putting this together yourself will save you time on the phone, even though your designer is skilled at asking the right questions.
Common web design specification sheets:
1. How many pages does your website need?
2. Is a website contact form necessary?
3. Is your brand defined?
4. Will the website provide case studies?
5. What’s your company’s website’s long-term goal?
6. Is your corporate logo?
7. Are Blogs required?
8. Social media integration?
9. Do you require unique features like a live chat?
10. Web design deadline?
3. List your favourite websites
List 5-10 websites with good design and layout. Write down your website likes and dislikes. A few images with a description will graphically show your web designer’s strengths.
Your designer may learn a lot about your tastes from your favourite websites. The designer can construct an experience that fits both your needs.
4. Know your business
Working with non-industry clients might be difficult. Sometimes the hardest firms lack marketing strategy and brand standards.
Know your firm, target market, marketing plan, brand identity, and market worth.
Don’t be the speciality business that doesn’t understand its clients.
Start early, research, and provide your Swansea web designer with as much information as can. Data improves product quality.
