There are people out there that are saying that they are web designers and charging people thousands of dollars for poorly designed websites. The stories I have heard is that they that do web programming or they used to program for (insert big company here). I am going qualify the following statement by saying this does not apply to everyone. The is a huge difference between a web designer and a web programmer. Both are valid jobs and vital to the internet, however, they are different. It is the difference between the architect and the guy who does the building.

A web programmer is someone who specializes in the programming languages used in web sites, like html, css, php, etc…. This is what they are really good at doing. And I am not saying a web programmer can’t do web design as well. The code will be great but the design may not be.

A web designer is someone who designs websites. They focus on the look, user interface, usability, marketing, etc… A web designer may know some code as well but their focus will be on the design of the site. This is what they do best.

When a web designer can’t write the code to a site they have designed, that is when they hire a web programmer to write the more complex code. This is how both are vital to websites and how the areas of expertise are very different.

And I don’t want any hate mail so I will say this again. This does not apply to all web programmers or web designers. It just applies to most.

Here is my suggestion if you don’t want to waste time and money, hire a web designer to do what we do best, design. We will hire the web programmer if we need one.

1. Know what you want the website to do for you before you hire a designer. This seems simple but it can be really daunting. What tasks do you do everyday that eat up your time? Answering basic questions, taking order, making appointments, etc…? What would it be worth to you if your website could do this for you?
2. Know who your target market is and be able to describe them. In other words, who are the people you are trying to reach. If you are an established business, who are your typical clients/customers? How much money to they appear to make? Where do they live? How old are they? What are their hobbies? Not all of these questions apply to every business, just use the ones that apply to yours. And any other information that sets your target market apart from other markets.
3. Figure out what you like and don’t like. Start looking at websites not for the content, but how they are designed. Develop an eye for what you like and don’t like about certain websites. Keep track of these websites and give them to your designer. It is extremely difficult to verbally describe a visual concept. I mean everyone has a different idea of the color red, right? The visuals will help the designer figure out your personal style and design a site that you love.
4. Figure out a budget. Websites vary in complexity so they vary in cost. I can design a basic site for $1200 or I can design a complex site for $10,000. I don’t know what is out of your price range and what isn’t. Keep in mind when figuring out your budget, the more stuff you add or want, the more it is going to cost. Remember you are paying for the designer’s time, since this is a service based industry. Do you argue with your hairstylist about how much their time is worth? Or a plumber?
5. Use a web designer. Yes, we have all seen the commercials and ads for do it your self web sites and we all know someone who has dabbled. We all want to get a great deal or save money, however, the image of your company is an investment. Having a sub par website can actually hurt your business. Web designers are professionals. It is our business to know what are the trends, what works and what doesn’t, and all the design theories.

Any web designer is willing and able to help you along this process.

Okay so having a website is important and necessary but will just any website work? I was just at a conference where a woman saw my work and approached me about her website. Apparently her brother-in-law created her website and he isn’t a web designer. Okay, I am not saying that all websites created by family members or non-designers are bad. I am saying that sometimes, most of the time, they are not professional looking. With that in mind, I asked her if she was happy with her website, and did it accurately represent her business? She replied that it wasn’t and realized that it wasn’t what she wanted. Whether or not she hires me to create the new website is irrelevant for this discussion but what is important is that a well designed website gives a new or small business what it lacks, credibility.

Think of it this way, in the not to distant past, companies had sales people that were the first contact with new clients. They worked really hard to get “in” and make that first impression. Now its our websites that are doing the heavy lifting of impressions and the clients come to us. In that same thinking, if your website were an employee, what is the “duties” you want it to do? Is it doing them? What kind of first impression is it making?

Here is my new way of evaluating whether or not a website is working. Give your website a performance review. You heard me, performance review, just like you would one of your employees. Rate it. Then choose whether or not your website deserves to stay on or be fired!

Yes, I said FIRE YOUR WEBSITE! If it doesn’t make that great first impression, or generate the clients that you want, FIRE IT! You wouldn’t keep an employee that had such a poor performance so why keep your website? Why put up with it?

Now here is the kicker. If you have fired your website, then you need to make a list of all the duties you want your website to do for you. Then figure out how much would it cost to hire someone to do those duties. I know that the yearly salary of that person, costs a lot more then having a professional designed website.

There is not comparison and no question that websites cost money. Think of how much money you could be losing by not having one or having one that doesn’t work for you.