Vivid Inspiration Studios - a total corporate identity solution. From logo to web site and all printed or electronic documents. We also provide telecommunications solutions.
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What to look for in a web designer

Web designer come in all shapes and sizes. To get all the services you need may involve contacting more than one person or company.

This is only a guide and is not intended to be a comprehensive list although we will expand on it over time and add links to appropriate sites.

This is a recommended list of things to look for and questions to ask when aproaching someone to do your web page:

 
Vivid Inspiration Studios

Your designer
Does your designer meet web standards when 'coding' the pages? There are lots of browser programs on several different operating systems. If the designer does not write your web site code correctly then your visitors may not be  able to view your web site.
Yes
 
Does your designer meet 'Accessibility' requirements?
That is, can your web site be accessed by people with disabilities. Try looking at their sample sites with 'styles' and images turned off. Can you still read those pages? What if your web page was read out loud? Can you understand the content?
Is there enough difference in colour? Will people with colour-blindness (over 15% of the population) be able to read your content easily?
Yes
 
Will your designer be able to 'code' the pages so later changes can be easily made?
Yes
 
Will your web designer be able to assist you in marketing your web site?
It's more than just putting up a web site. You then have to integrate the site with your marketing plan and draw people to it. How are you going to implement that?
Yes
 
Can your designer complete the full project for you?
The steps for creating a web site include:
  • Registration of domain
  • Creating host site
  • Installing required software on host server
  • Site design and testing
Yes
 
Does your designer check your site on different technologies?
There are 3 main operating systems, over 12 different browsers and several versions of each browser.
Each operating system/browser combination has its own quirks and what looks good in one may not appear at all in another. Does your designer check the majority of these browsers for readability?
Yes
 
Australian law requires a privacy policy. Can your designer help you draft a privacy policy?
Yes
 
Can your designer help train you in using the features of your web site?
Yes
 
Can your designer help integrate your web site into your business plan?
Yes
 
Will your designer check the security of your site?
Yes
 
Can your designer help track your return on investment?
Yes
 
Will your designer be able to give you access to tracking and statistical tools?
Yes
 
Can your designer help you plan for expansion and create a site that will grow with your business?
Yes
 
Can your designer help you keep your existing customers and grow a loyal customer base for referrals?
Yes
 
Will your designer work with you to ensure you will get a site that does what you need?
There are literally hundreds of different existing packages for web sites. Will your designer take the time to match the right package to your business? Will your designer go through the different options that are available to you? Will your designer educate you on the extra features that are available and how you can benefit from them?
Yes

 

Will your designer ensure that your site will load within 25 seconds on a 56k modem?
All those fancy graphics and animations may look good but history shows that most people will not wait more than 30 seconds for a page to load before they move on. More than 60% of current web users still use dialup which loads pages very slowly.
Yes
 
Will your designer help you register your site with search engines?
A web site must be submitted to a search engine to get listed. The only other way for a search engine to find your site is if someone else creates a link to your site and the search engine knows about the other site. Either method takes time (up to 3 months for your site to be listed).
Yes
 
Can your designer assist with writing content that will be optimised for search engines?
There are over 100 calculations to determine your rank. It has been determined that one of the major elements is the content.
Yes
 
Can your designer help you establish an online advertising program?
There are dozens of programs available. Which one is best for your business? How much should you invest in the advertising?
Yes
 
Can your designer assist you in creating an identity? If you haven't already created a logo and chosen a colour scheme, will your designer be able to create a memorable and individual look?
If you already have a logo, can your designer help successfully transfer it to the web?
Yes
 
Does your designer understand the Internet Best Practises standard and can they advise you how to meet your obligations as a web site owner?
Yes
 

 

 

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