A good website is vital for every legal firm regardless if you’re just starting out or are a seasoned practitioner. Whether you need a new one from scratch or whether you need to renovate your current one, it’s mandatory you get it done as soon as possible. Fortunately, digital marketing firms like ApricotLaw can provide a one-stop-shop for your web presence needs.
Things to Look For When Hiring a Web Designer
The business world today is heavily reliant on the internet especially for advertising and getting your law firm noticed. As a result, employing a web designer could be beneficial to your company. And with so many of them in the market, it’s upon you to practice due diligence and pick one that fits your requirements best.
Read on to learn about five things you should consider when choosing a web designer or digital marketing firm.
1. Budget
The most important thing is to have your website up and running sooner rather than later. It doesn’t have to be the perfect website ever created at first upload. You can later expand or modify your website to suit your evolving business needs.
Start by giving your web developer ample time to develop and implement your dream design. Unrealistic expectations on time and delivery will only throw off your designer and complicate the process.
Additionally, keep in mind that investing in a web designer can be costly. Keep an open mind and consider hiring fresh graduates. Chances are they are cheaper, well trained, and equally talented.
2. SEO
Site traffic is heavily reliant on search engine optimization (SEO). Your web designer should be familiar with SEO best practices and techniques. This saves you the trouble of later adding them yourself or having to hire someone else to do it.
A savvy web designer should know how to add searchable keywords and phrases to make the site load faster. Because if a website takes more than one or two seconds to load, it will be deemed slow and many users will move on, which affects the site’s bounce rate and lowers your search engine rank.
It may also be necessary for the web designer to conduct market research to find out the most effective SEO techniques to use for your website, as each business model is unique. Examples include pay-per-click ads or social media links.
3. Maintenance
Having your website up and running is not the end of the road for your designer needs. The process also includes strategies for subsequent updates and maintenance. Almost every website needs these to continue running smoothly.
Ask a web designer if they are capable of website maintenance prior to hiring them. Because having to hire someone else for maintenance might be a costly affair.
4. Style
Request the web designer’s portfolio to gauge their work. After which you can commission them to design a sample website so you can assess if their style marries with yours. Seeking a designer within your budget and finding one who understands your vision must be balanced. They cannot be mutually exclusive.
Be sure to cover all questions to determine suitability. Like, can they finish projects on time and on budget? And are they cooperative and open to ideas?
5. Mobile-Friendly
People are increasingly using mobile devices to access the internet in the modern world. Therefore, your website must be easily viewable and navigable on a smaller screen.
Websites that are not mobile-friendly do not rank well in Google Analytics. A good web designer should be able to create websites suitable for all devices.
Get the Right Pick for You
No matter how urgently you require a website, do not rush your decision to hire a web designer. A poor website design will have a negative impact on your SEO and may result in downtime. Keep the above suggestions in mind when hiring a web designer for your legal practice.