How Small Businesses Can Find a Good Web Designer
In Should Small Business Do It Themselves (Websites & SEO) I talked a bit about why finding the right web design team is critical for success and how you can start with a local website design firm–but that today you have global options available to you and so are not restricted in your choices.
I promised that I would share some resources for other options and will do so in this post but I also wanted to let you know what I do.
For instance, my last blog designer was found when I kept seeing interesting looking blogs and clicked through to see who designed them and the same person kept popping up in my screen.
Eventually I hired her and she has worked on three of my blog templates including the Fawnskin Flyer.
My mastermind group laughed when I told them I was essentially a spy out on the web and that is how I find valuable tools and super online professionals.
By spy, I mean that snoop on everyone in a variety of ways.
I am always looking at code, peaking at the links to website design firms from blogs and websites that I like, reading comments and exploring the blogs of the best commenters, and I also bring a lot of things onto my computer screen via RSS feeds, social media applications, etc.
Now don’t be overwhelmed if you don’t know what any of this means–my point is that if you are surfing the web, pay attention to what you like and take a minute to explore because you can find some real gems that way.
Then there are referrals or cyber introductions that can lead to someone special.
One of my professional writing services projects had an awesome website design firm that I worked with to optimize her site content.
I was impressed and so now we work together–but I met them intially because we had a mutual client.
The client met the web designer chatting in line at a business several years ago and eventually hired the team to construct her website.
So, those are a few other ways you can stumble upon the right person.
However, you can also seek out web designers via social media sites, by searching via keywords, and by contracting them from freelance sites.
Social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook have a lot of business pages with great professionals (and savvy pros are there working the system).
You can also use Twitter Search and conduct a general search or specific search on Facebook.
The business site of choice for many might be LinkedIn because they have professional groups for designers and other freelance professionals.
Take the time to check out their connections, their online website portfolios and their recommendations.
I always encourage you to connect with someone in person prior to hiring them.
Skype is a great online tool to use if the professional is not in your area as it lets you chat–plus ou can also use video conferencing.
As far as the online resources I’ve used (and am part of) eLance, Guru and Rent-A-Coder are a few of the best but there are a variety of options out there just seek out “freelance service-you-seek” or “freelance worksites.”
Once again, I am going to suggest you take your time to find the right connection because a good, long professional relationship is ideal when it comes to all things web.
Do you have a favorite resource or another idea to add? Chime in via the comments!
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