Out of context, searching for a freelance web designer can be a daunting task, which is often why many business owners opt to not hire a freelance web designer at all. Starting up a new online business can be overwhelming in itself and it's easy to dismiss the need for a freelance web designer due to the perceived difficulty of finding one. But with a little help, I believe you'll realize that hiring a freelance web designer doesn't have to be as difficult as you may think.
Are they well organized?
- A freelance web designer should be able to show you a portfolio of their work.
- When looking for an experienced web designer, check how long they have been designing websites.
- Someone who really cares about their work as a freelance web designer will want to learn more about your business.
- An experienced freelance web designer will be able to tell you what they need from you and when they need it by.
- Check the client reviews of a freelance web designer's previous work.
- Ask your fellow entrepreneurs for recommendations of freelance designers to hire.
- Be aware that different web designers specialise in different skills e.g. SEO, PPC etc., so make sure your web designer has experience in the areas you're interested in.
- Your website is going to be one of the first places customers interact with your brand, so make sure it is of great quality and represents who you are and what you do well!
- You'll want your visitors to feel like they've just walked into an immaculately organised office when they hit your homepage, so keep things tidy, clear and to-the-point.
Do they have a portfolio?
A portfolio is a collection of previous work that a freelancer has done. The idea is to give potential clients an idea of what they can expect from them, before they start working on their project.
If you are looking for a freelance designer, this is one of the most important things to look at when selecting who to hire. If they don't have a portfolio, then it can be difficult to tell if their skills are in line with what you need.
Portfolios come in many different formats. Some freelancers will create websites dedicated to showing off their work, while others may simply use social media sites like LinkedIn or Dribble as a way of displaying their previous projects.
The best way for you to find out if someone has a portfolio is by asking them about it up front. If you're browsing through profiles on Upwork or Freelancer and see that the person has no portfolio link, then send them an email asking if they have one and if so where it can be found.
What are their technical skills like?
The best way to gauge someone's technical skills is by reviewing their portfolio and/or resume. Just because someone has experience designing websites doesn't mean that they can also develop them.
If you need someone to design a web app, look for web designers that have actual experience with app development in their portfolio.
If you're looking for a freelance web designer who can also develop your website, you should look at their programming skills.
It is difficult to know how well a web designer can program by just reviewing their portfolio or resume.
You can try sending them a programming test to see if they are able to complete it within 24 hours (without copying and pasting code from Google). If they complete it on time with no errors, then they probably have decent programming skills.
Have they worked with your CMS?
- Are you looking for a freelance web designer?
- Hire someone who understands your CMS, especially if you want to make changes to your site yourself!
- Do you need a programmer or a developer who specializes in an open source framework like Ruby on Rails, Drupal or WordPress?
- Find someone who has worked with your framework before.
- Are you looking for a freelance web designer or programmer to build a new website, including custom programming?
- Find someone who has worked with your platform before and ask them to show you examples of what they've built.
- Do you need a freelance web designer to help you create a new custom theme for your CMS?
- Choose someone who knows CSS and HTML very well and is familiar with your CMS's template language.
- Were you dissatisfied with the job your web design agency did on your last project?
- Make sure the person or firm you hire next is familiar with best practices in that segment of the industry, such as coding standards, accessibility and other areas of expertise.
How long have they been working in the industry?
- A lot of new web designers are attracted to the freelance lifestyle. They're eager to start their careers and they want to see what it's like to work for themselves.
- It's tempting to hire a newbie with a fresh perspective and great energy, but it may not be the best choice for your company.
- A newbie designer may have some fresh ideas, but you shouldn't make your hiring decision based on that.
- You want to hire someone who has the experience and skill needed to build the exact website you need.
- When you look at a potential employee's portfolio, it should give you an indication of their experience level.
- Look at how many successful sites they've designed and how complex they were.
Hire an experienced freelance web designer, not just someone who is excited about getting into the field!
What are their qualifications?
One of the most important things when hiring a freelance web designer is finding one who has a good portfolio. You want to see that they have built the kind of website you need even if they don't have it in their portfolio, because a good freelancer can do all kinds of websites.
The next thing to check is whether the freelancer talks about their clients and how they help them, not just about themselves and what they can do. It's also important that they are clear about their process and price range. They should be able to tell you what's included in each pricing tier so that you know exactly what you're paying for.
What is their experience like?
I've been a freelance web designer for the past 8 years, and I've worked with a lot of other freelancers. In my experience, most freelance web designers fall into one of two categories:
A front-end developer (front-end) is someone who can create websites from scratch. They can write HTML, CSS and JavaScript by hand or with an editor like Adobe Dreamweaver or Microsoft Expression Suite. They know how to make websites that work on all devices and browsers, including mobile devices. They are also comfortable with back-end development languages like PHP and Ruby on Rails.
A designer (designer) is someone who creates beautiful designs using tools like Photoshop or Sketch (formerly known as Sketchup). They typically do not know how to write code, but they do know how to use platforms specific tools like Adobe Illustrator or InDesign.
Have they worked with anyone else that you know?
- If you want to hire a freelance web designer or front end developer, you need to ask the right questions.
- The first question to ask is if they have a portfolio of work that they can show you.
- If they don't have any kind of portfolio, then it might be best to look elsewhere.
- You could always ask if they would be willing to take on a smaller project so that you can see their work and find out if you are happy with it.
- And if they're willing to do that just for the sake of getting a portfolio piece? They must know what they're doing!
- The second question you should ask is whether or not the designer has worked with anyone else that you know.
- If so, you could always contact those companies and ask them about the quality of the person's work.
- That way, you can get a better sense of their reputation and whether or not it is someone who will be able to help your business.
Read reviews. Talk to other clients the freelancer has worked for
As a business owner, you don’t have time to waste. That’s why we want to help you find the perfect freelance web designer for your project.
You may have years of experience creating websites, but the quality of those sites may be lacking. You may find that this freelancer’s client skills are subpar, and they aren’t responsive to your comments and feedback.
Many people hire freelance web designers without thoroughly assessing their work quality and responsiveness. There are plenty of high-quality freelance web designers out there.
A freelancer will be more receptive to your needs if you pose as a first-time client and mention you found them through a recommendation from a friend or colleague. This gives them incentive to treat you well because they want future business from people who know about them through word of mouth (and social media).
A freelance web designer with a good reputation will be upfront about what the cost of building your website will entail, how long it will take, and what specific deliverables you can expect—all without charging extra fees for revisions or changes once the project is underway!
Is their website well designed and functional?
When hiring a freelance web developer, you want to make sure that they're well versed in the most current web technologies. You also want to look for someone whose work you actually like.
A good way to do this is by looking at their portfolio. It should have a variety of designs—not just one style that they use for every project.
Also, if you're not sure how to find a good freelancer, try searching online for "freelance web designer" or even "freelance programmer." There are plenty of websites that list designers and programmers who are available for hire.
Hiring a freelance web designer doesn’t need to be a headache
It's not a secret that hiring a freelance web designer is one of the most stressful parts of starting a business. You have to manage your budget and expectations, choose the right person for the job, and then hope that they can deliver on time and on budget.
We know how hard it can be to find someone who knows their stuff while also being affordable. And we also understand how difficult it is to find someone who will work with you throughout every step of the process—from designing your site to building out functionality and integrating third-party services.
But don't worry! There are lots of ways to make sure that you're getting exactly what you need from your web designer without breaking the bank or making yourself crazy. In this article, we'll talk about some of those ways, so read on and get ready for a more stress-free experience!
With all that in mind, we hope that this article can help you find the freelance web designer you're looking for—and remember, it doesn't hurt to reach out to multiple freelancers and see who best fits your budget and your project's needs. While not every designer will be the right fit for your business, the ones that are can help make all the difference when it comes to your website's success.