no template out there approaches your vision. Throughout the design and development process, you should be in constant communication with the designer to ensure he or she is going in the right direction with your design. It can help greatly to provide the designer with websites that you like or want to emulate. That will give her an idea of your tastes. Even a sketch or mock up will help a lot. Tell them you want them to design the home page first. The home page sets the whole theme for the rest of the site, so before they go designing other pages, get the home page nailed down. Once you are happy with it and have approved it, give them the green light to design the rest of the site. This will ultimately save you time and money.
How much is all This Going to Cost?
Remember the old adage: you get what you pay for? Well, that little jewel of wisdom is also true of web design and development. The good news is that you can find good deals out there, but by the same token, there are scam artists ready and willing to take your hard-earned money. You might get on Craig’s List and see ads for websites under $500. That’s
great if you want a few pages and a cookie-cutter design. But don’t expect to get droves of customers lining up to buy your products online. Freelancers charge anywhere from $25 to $100/hr. Some where in between would be acceptable. Once you have negotiated an hourly rate you are happy with, get a rock solid estimate of the total hours it will take to complete your site. In other words, nail down an exact price for the work. You can even instruct your designer/developer that he or she is not authorized to exceed this price and that you fully expect the project to be completed within the specified budget. If you hold a firm line on your budget, you won’t have to deal with cost overruns and hidden expenses.
In Conclusion
There’s no substitute for doing your homework: checking references, looking at a company’s or freelancer’s work, comparing bids, and talking or meeting your contractors in person. With enough care and attention paid to finding the right designer and developer for your needs, you can be sure of getting a great website at a fair price!