When it comes to building a website for your local business, it’s very common to find a local web designer to ensure credibility, and that they won’t run off on you when you need them the most.
Why Hire Local?
Many people, including myself, have had rather poor experiences with developers and designers overseas. If things aren’t going well they can just drop off of the face of the earth and you will never hear from them again.
When you hire local, and you are sitting face-to-face with the designer there’s a strong sense of credibility and a much smaller chance that they will crap the bed and leave. Both because you have a face for them to see and their local reputation actually matters.
In hiring a local web designer though, there are a couple of key areas you need to be aware of.
Are They Credible?
Have they done work in the past? What was the experience they had with their past clients? Ask for testimonials, and if you really need to be sure don’t be afraid to ask for a reference.
This is extremely important for the following reasons because you want to make sure that they have a history of treating their clients right.
If they are unwilling to provide this then that’s a bad sign. If they can’t provide this however that’s another issue with its own risks, likely you’re their first client, and it’s up to you if you want to take those.
Can they give you what you need?
It’s important to be absolutely clear on what you’re looking for. There’s a couple of key services that tie into this and what they provide, broken out below:
A website, while it does not guarantee a regular flow of leads, is still a vital first step that supports all the other methods that support your brand and process your leads.
Many times I meet clients that are only interested in a website, and that’s fine! They use the website in their day-to-day to present themselves to their clients and close more sales.
Be mindful that many “website designers” are actually marketers who actually focus on a specific area such as SEO or Social Media. Make sure you get a specialist that has a history of doing well exactly in the area that you need.
Make Sure They’re Actually Local!
I got a story for this one. If you’re hiring from a site such as upwork watch out! There are offshore developers that pose as onshore developers to get more work.
I remember the one time I tried hiring local from that site the 34 year old man from Grand Rapids, MI turned out to be a 22 year old guy from China!
If they refuse to talk with you on the phone that’s a bad sign, don’t do business with them. To test us out, you can hit up our contact page and call us during our open hours and we’ll either pick up or call you back.
Are They Approachable?
This is probably the most important factor in deciding who to hire. Do you feel like you can trust them? Have they been honest and up front with you? Is their pricing straightforward or confusing? Do they put you first or the technology?
If you get a website from this person, this is someone you’re going to be working with for a long time so make sure they are someone you feel you will enjoy talking to!
Last but Not Least: Do They Have Your Interest At Heart
A common thing I’ve noticed about designers and developers is that they are so passionate about their tools and methods they forget they are in business to support you.
When you’re having your conversation with your local designer make sure to be perfectly clear on your desired outcomes ( more leads, more awareness, sales tool, etc ) and whenever the designer offers you something, ask how it plays into what your desired outcome is.
Here at Play Frey Technologies we specialize in Website Design and Development. However if you’re looking for someone who offers Lead Generation as an outcome I can’t recommend Jeremy over at Pushleads enough.
