When you’re a small business owner, it can be tricky to find the right person to build your site. With so many ecommerce website designers out there, how do you know which one to pick? Here are tips on what to consider when choosing an ecommerce website designer.
Table of Contents
Understand your brand.
One of the most important things you can do is to understand your brand. Ask yourself, “What is my brand? What is its personality? What are its values?”
The answers to these questions will help you find an ecommerce website designer who can help you build and promote your online store in a way that aligns with your business model, objectives, and goals.
Scope out the competition.
When you first begin looking for an ecommerce website designer, it’s important to scope out the competition. This can be done by looking at your competitors’ websites and social media presence, as well as reading their reviews. You should also look at pricing, contact information (including a customer service phone number), contact forms, and customer experience pages on their website—both from the perspective of a potential customer and that of someone who is already a client.
Consider the ecommerce website designs you like, and why you like them.
The next step is to check out the sites you like and find out what you like about them.
- Do they have a good layout?
- Does their design fit with the purpose of their website?
- Are there any features that stand out in particular, e.g., using a full-width slider on the homepage or using images instead of text for their product descriptions? You can also use this time to discover whether or not they’re using an ecommerce website designer! In addition to asking friends and family who are familiar with your business, it’s always helpful to do some research online by searching for reviews from other businesses that are similar to yours.
Check portfolios and past clients.
The first step in choosing an ecommerce website designer is to look at their past work. You can do this by checking their portfolio and asking them for references of past clients they have worked with. It is also important to look at the companies’ social media profiles and get a feel for the personality of the brand through what they post on social media, how often they post, and how engaged their fans are with the content.
Be sure to ask for testimonials or customer reviews from previous clients who have had experience working with your preferred design firm or freelancer before you decide which one is best suited for your project.
Ask for a quote.
When you receive a quote from the designer, make sure it has the following details:
- The cost of each item is listed.
- A detailed timeline of what will happen when and how long it takes to complete each step, so you know what to expect.
- A payment schedule, including when payments are due as well as when work will be finished by and paid for in full.
- A guarantee that covers any problems or issues with your ecommerce website after launch. This should include refunds for unsatisfactory quality if there are mistakes or errors on their part in creating your site.
Ask about eCommerce platforms.
When choosing an ecommerce website designer, make sure that they have experience with the platforms you need. It’s important to ask about their experience with your eCommerce platform and how they would handle a situation where the platform changed. As well, ask if they have experience with your preferred payment processor and shipping provider so that you can be sure that they understand everything involved in processing orders on your site.
Check out the site on multiple devices.
When you’re choosing a website designer, it’s important to check out the site on multiple devices. This way, you can see how the site looks and functions across platforms.
- Check out the site on your phone
- Check out the site on your laptop or desktop computer
- Check out the site on your tablet or iPad (if applicable)
- Check out the site on any other mobile device that you use regularly (iPad Mini, Chromebook Pixel 2 XL, etc.)
It’s also worth checking out what it looks like in different browsers: Safari vs. Chrome vs. Firefox vs Edge; Microsoft Edge is only available for Windows 10 users at this time of writing but is expected to be included with Windows 7 and 8 soon enough as well; Mozilla Firefox should be used if you want more privacy protections than what Google Chrome offers by default (although there are ways around that).
Trust your gut.
When it comes to choosing a website designer, you want to trust your gut. It’s a good idea to ask some of the following questions:
- What do I like about their work? Do they have a portfolio that shows off their best work? If not, why not?
- How long has the company been around and what kind of experience do they have in designing websites for ecommerce businesses like mine?
- Is there anything in their portfolio or on their website that makes me nervous or uncomfortable in any way at all (like an overly aggressive sales pitch)?
It’s also important to check whether your website designer is right for you by asking yourself:
- Does their style match up with my brand personality—or do I need someone who can put together something completely new and fresh for my brand?
Find the right ecommerce website designer by doing some research, looking at which ones have experience with sites like yours, and checking their portfolios and reviews.
When you’re ready to start looking for an ecommerce website designer, it’s important to do some research. You’ll want to look at the designers’ portfolios and past clients, as well as the projects they’ve worked on in the past. You can also ask for references from other companies that have hired them before.
While researching a list of potential candidates, look at their past work on websites similar to yours and see if they have experience with ecommerce sites like yours. Also, take a look at how long each designer has been doing this type of work and how many years of experience they have in total (some designers only work part-time or freelance).
Professional Website Designer in Halifax
There are a lot of design agencies out there, but you need one who can help get your online business on the map. At Social Spike, we build online stores that not only provide an amazing online shopping experience for your customers but also search engines!
Contact us today and learn more about what can do for you in the process of creating a professional-looking website that will help you win!
