Video Transcript
You know it’s important to make a great first impression online, so you did the right thing and began the process of hiring a professional web designer. But how do you know if they can actually deliver on what they say they can? Before you sign a contract and fork over a deposit, here are 8 things that you need to look out for.
1. No About Page
Number one: There’s no about page on their website. An about page is an essential part of any business website, so if your web designer doesn’t have an about page, it’s an indication that they might not be who they say they are. An about page should tell something about the company, the people that work there, and the clients that they serve. If you don’t see one, who do you really know who you’re dealing with?
2. No Portfolio
Number two: They don’t have a portfolio. If a web designer isn’t willing to show you examples of his/her work that means one of two things:
- They do poor quality work or
- They’re brand new to web design and they just don’t have any work to show you.
If the designer is unwilling to show you examples of their past work, that’s a sign that they don’t do really good quality work. And do you really want to work with somebody that doesn’t produce the results that you’re looking for? Probably not.
Now, if they are brand new to web design, that’s a different story. We all have to start somewhere, right? But as a business owner, is that a risk that you’re willing to take? You have to be the person that decides to take on somebody that’s brand new. Just know that working with somebody that’s brand new might take a little longer to get your project completed. And time is money, so is that a risk that you’re willing to take?
3. Only Use Stock Images on their Website
Number three: They only use stock images on their website. If you go to a web designer’s site and all you see are stock photos, that’s a sign that they don’t take their branding or messaging seriously. And that means they won’t take the branding or messaging seriously when it comes to designing your website.
This can also mean that they aren’t who they say they are. It’s really easy to say that you have a 10 employee team and you work in a nice fancy office, but if you don’t have anything but stock photos on your website, you really can’t back up that claim. You should see headshots of those people, maybe a team photo, or a photo of their actual office and if you don’t, they could be trying to look bigger or more professional then they actually are.
4. You Always Talk to a New Person
Number four: Every time you call, you talk to somebody new. If every time you call the web design company, you’re talking to a different person, that could be a sign that they lack communication and project management skills.
Ideally, you want to talk to one person about your project and that’s it. So if every time you’re calling the design agency you’re talking to somebody new, it could mean that a bunch of different people are going to be working on your project. And are those people really communicating with one another well? This really could lead to projects that take forever to complete, if you even get the website done at all.
5. They Specialize in Every Platform
Number five: They specialize in every platform. Have you ever heard the phrase, “a jack of all trades, a master of none”? This phrase can definitely apply to web design.
If your web designer says they specialize in WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, HTML, Joomla, Drupal… all of these different web design platforms…that’s a sign that they’re not really good at what they’re doing because it’s impossible to be proficient in all of these different platforms.
So that means that they’re either learning as they go, or they’re outsourcing their work to places that will do it cheaply and poorly. In the end, you’re going to geta hard to manage, poorly designed website. And is that really what you want?
6. No Testimonials
Number six: They have no testimonials on their website. If you’re not seeing testimonials from previous clients, that means they either don’t have any or their previous clients weren’t really happy with the end result they received.
Now, if you don’t see testimonials on the website, check Google or Facebook because they might be using those platforms for testimonials, but if you still don’t see anything, reach out to the designer directly and ask for references. If they’re unwilling to provide you with any, that’s a sign that you shouldn’t work together.
7. Slow Response
Number seven: They take forever to respond. Is it really hard to get a hold of the designer? Consider it a red flag. If they’re not responding to your emails, that’s an indication that they have bad communication skills.
When you’re working on a web design project, it should be a communicative and collaborative process throughout the entire experience. If they can’t even respond to your initial emails timely, that’s a sign that you shouldn’t move forward with working together.
8. They Don’t Immediately Answer your Questions
Number eight: They don’t immediately answer your questions. If the response to every question you ask your designer is, “let me get back to you on that” that could mean that they don’t really know the answer. They are either researching that answer to try and get it to you later or they’re outsourcing their work to somebody else and not actually doing it themselves.
While you may stump a designer occasionally if every response is “let me get back to you” or “I have to check on that” that’s a sign that they may not know what they’re doing. And is that somebody that you really want to work with?
Those are 8 red flags of a bad web designer. If you liked this video, give it a thumbs up, be sure to subscribe to this channel and ring the bell to receive notifications whenever we post a new video. Bye!
