Using a Local Website Designer: What It Means for You

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The internet is a global, one world village and while we can be friends with anyone we want online, the reality is that your business website should be locally designed. Having a direct connection to a local website designer will help you stay in touch with the needs of your customers and makes it easier for you to communicate your website requirements, as the web design agency will have local knowledge.

You may need updates to your graphics or content that are specific to your location. At the same time, you'll be staying in touch with what is happening locally for your business. The internet is a one world village but not everyone speaks the same language, it is essential that you can communicate freely with your designer. Your website should be tailored to suit the needs of people of your local customers.

What You Need to Look For in a Local Website Designer

Finding a website designer that will best suit your needs can be an daunting task. To make it easier we have put together a list of the top 5 things to look for in a website designer and also some bad practices you should avoid.

Good Communication:

When choosing a web designer, communication is key. This person will be able to explain what they are doing and why they need to do it when building your site. The last thing you want is an endless number of changes with no explanation as to why or how this impacts the timeline or budget. If there seems like there's too many rework requests without much detail, then this may not be the web designer for you.

Understanding of Brand:

The website should convey the same messages and themes as your business. Your website must have the same personality as your business. A good rule of thumb is that if it isn't obvious what business type the site belongs to, then there's a misalignment somewhere between design and strategy.

Clear Understanding of Your Goals:

What do you want to accomplish with the new website? Understanding this will help establish direction for what can be done and can also save time in the long run. It's better to know before spending money on things you don't need or won't use rather than wasting money and time on something unnecessary.

Detailed Proposals:

There shouldn't be any surprises when it comes to final costs - everything should have been outlined in their proposal, so you should know exactly what you're paying for. If the web deign agency isn't showing you a detailed proposal, then they might be cutting corners and not doing things right.

An Honest Approach:

Does it seem like they're trying to sell you services or do they take a more consultative approach? A good designer will give suggestions and let the client decide how much and when certain options are implemented in order to meet business objectives.

Now that we have established some guidelines for choosing a website designer, let's also go over some bad practices so you know what to avoid:

Spelling Mistakes:

We aren't talking about just typos—we mean errors such as "colour" instead of “colour” or incorrect grammar such as "to" instead of "too"—these errors scream unprofessional.

Flat-Rate Projects:

If a firm is telling you they can do everything for a flat rate without a detailed proposal, then there's a very good chance they don't understand the scope of work involved and are offering a cookie cutter approach. In turn, this means they aren't able to give accurate time frames and also increases the chances that there will be miscommunications since things weren't fully laid out from the beginning.

How to Find a Local Website Designer That Will Best Suit Your Needs

Finding the right website designer can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be so hard! Use these tips to find a website designer in your area that will suit your needs.

1. Search in the Right Places

If you want to find a website designer in your local area, Google should be your first port of call. With the introduction of Google Local Search, your search results include the most relevant results closest to your geographic location. The look at reviews, and which other businesses recommend them.

2. Get Referrals From Other Local Businesses

You can get referrals from other local businesses. This way, you will be taking advantage of other businesses experiences, and they'll be tell you about their experiences.

One of the best ways to find a good website designer is to ask around. Find out if anybody you know has recently had a website designed. You could also find some on Facebook, but make sure they're in your area before reaching out.

3. If Possible, Speak With Them in Person

Once you have found a few possible options, reach out directly! It's important that you are able to speak to them directly and the web designer can understand your needs so that it'll be the right fit for you. Being able to communicate directly is extremely important when dealing with a web agency that is going to be instrumental in presenting your business online.

Consider a Budget for Your New Website

It is important to consider a budget for your new website project before you choose your web developer.

Below are the essentials, and the extras that you will require in your new website. You may already have these or may need to start from scratch.

1. Domain Name

A domain name is a unique name given to a website or domain. In order to connect to a website, you have to type in the domain name. The main difference between a domain name and web address is that a website's IP address can change while its domain name remains the same.

2. Hosting

Website hosting is the provision of hardware and software platforms, usually on a rented basis, to enable individuals and organizations to create and publish their own websites or web applications.

3. Content Creation

Content can be anything from a digital photograph to an article, video or song. Creating this type of work requires different skill-sets depending on the project and what you intend for it to achieve.

4. Branding

Branding is the process of creating a unique name and image for your business. Businesses can benefit from effective branding as it can aid in building a memorable and trustworthy business.

5. Ongoing Licensing and Maintenance Fees

Open source CMS platforms, such as WordPress and Joomla will require security update and maintenance.  At times your web designer will include third party extensions and plugins that have monthly or yearly fees. These need to be considered when looking at your budget.

After the Website is Built: The Role of Your Website Designer

The best website designers are the ones who work with you to figure out what will make your site stand out and get visitors to convert. They can do this by making sure that your site is easy to read, easy to navigate, is mobile responsive, has a fast-loading speed, and more. The web designer can be instrumental in generating leads or sales for you.

Website Maintenance and Security Updates

Using a CMS or Content Management System is effective for managing your website, but it also makes your site more susceptible to hacking. WordPress websites are at greater risk, but Joomla websites are still susceptible to some hacking attempts. Your website designer should be able to assist you in managing the website maintenance and security updates.

Updating Content

Website content management plays a key role in keeping websites updated. This helps to attract new customers and retain existing ones. It also helps to maintain the freshness of the content in alignment with the brand, objectives, products, and services. Fresh website content helps your audience to stay hooked to the landing page and take appropriate action. Clean web design prevents a website from dying a slow death and improves results as well.

Helping Your Site Rank Well on the Search Engines

The whole purpose of having a business website is to attract new customers and educate existing customers. If the website is not ranking well on Google, then the website will not be achieving its purpose. A good local website designers’ job is only just starting once the website is launched, with the perpetual cycle of analysis and action to achieve the best results possible.

Choose a Local Web Designer to Make the Most of Your Online Presence

If you want your website to work for you, then it's important that you work with a local web design company.

Website maintenance and security updates are just as important as fresh content for attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.

If all of this sounds too complicated, we're here to help! Our team is ready and waiting to partner with you and create the perfect website or marketing plan tailored specifically for your needs.

You can reach out to us to get your new website. We provide guaranteed satisfaction to our customers, working with you to ensure you are happy with the outcome.

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