February 14, 2017 All Journal Entries

5 Reasons Why You Should Use a Professional Web Designer

By Stephanie Ganzer

By avoiding generic website builders and amateur designers you’ll save your company countless hours and inevitable heartache. I know, I know, everyone has a cousin, or a neighbor who claims to be a budding designer and is willing to take on your project for $500. As tempting as it may be, you could potentially be getting yourself into a sticky situation.

I know where my bias lies, as I am a designer myself but honestly you are better off leaving it to the professionals. Designing a website can be a complex task; filled with questions like…Is this font web safe? Does this logo adhere to my company’s brand standards? How many levels of navigation should I include? Why put yourself through the game of 20 questions when a pro can take it all off your plate?

Here are 5 reasons why hiring a designer is best practice when looking to build a professional website (without the hassle).

  1. You will save time – a designer knows more efficient, effective ways to design a reputable site. A seasoned designer knows the right questions to ask, and where to start; leaving out the guesswork and the delayed timelines. By streamlining the process, your big website overhaul starts to feel like a manageable task with the help of a professional designer.
  2. You get a snazzy custom design – a professional designer can create something unique to you. Websites are a dime a dozen, so having a website that fits your business without the cookie cutter approach is going to be a huge asset to your overall image. A well-designed site will give you a leg up on your competition, and will make a great first impression.
  3. Your site will deliver a better user experience –  As a professional in the industry, designers are trained and well versed on what your users want. Making an overall user experience that suits your audience will be a big benefit. The more intuitive the design, the more user friendly. By keeping your users in mind your business will seem more trustworthy and reliable.
  4. You will keep up with technology – You shouldn’t have to know all the latest and greatest of web techniques, you just want your site to utilize them. A good designer can take into account the best of web practices, and incorporate functionality and technology that will work for business’s web presence.
  5. You’ll stay on message – Whether it is finding a way to incorporate news articles pertinent to your industry, or graphics and photos that reflect your overall brand message, designers can keep your company on message and on brand. Your visual presence is just as important to your message as the content itself, (a picture is worth a thousand words kind of deal). Finding the right photography, and implementing well designed graphics can emphasize your personality and professionalism.

Hiring a professional designer can help you achieve your goals while staying on budget and on message. As easy as it may be to hire your high school neighbor, shopping around for a well-qualified designer can help you in the long run. Don’t be afraid to snoop around, or ask for some previous work examples. This can really get you up to speed on their design style. Just take it from the designer herself, a professional will always be happy to share their work and is excited to start a new project!