6 signs your web designer stinks!

Picking a web design company can feel like an overwhelming task. You may have a lot riding on your investment. Without technical and marketing expertise, it can be difficult to know whether you’re making a good choice.

Here are six warning signs you may be picking the wrong web designer.

1. Too many technical terms

If your web designer is throwing around more acronyms than a government agency, it’s a pretty good indication they’re not great communicators. If you’re investing time, money, and resources into developing this website, good communication is vital. Marketing is all about good communication.

2. No set goal

How can the web designer help you reach your goal for the website if they don’t even ask what the goal is? Many designers and developers get so involved in the actual design and coding of the website that they forget there’s an actual business reason to have that website. If they never ask how you define success for your website, what are the chances they’ve guessed correctly? It’s hard to hit a target without knowing what that target looks like.

3. Lack of holistic approach

The days of a website being enough for your online marketing have past. If your web designer can’t talk intelligently about multiple online marketing channels, it’s a bad sign.

Of course, you shouldn’t use every online marketing option out there. But your designer should look at the pros and cons of those options for your situation. Those options include blogging, social media, email newsletters, paid advertising, search engine optimization, and mobile strategies.

4. They already know you should use them

If your web designer starts by telling you all the reasons you need to use them without first asking you about your situation, run away! A good marketer knows that each situation is unique, and there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.

5. Focus on features

Will your web designer not stop talking about all the bells and whistles that your website will have, including features you don’t care about? That’s a sign they’re not focused on your needs. How do they know you need those bells and whistles? If they’re not first asking about your situation, chances are good that they’re not right for you.

6. No content management system

Any modern website should let you log in and make simple changes on your own. This includes things like modifying text, adding and deleting images, creating new pages, and blogging.

Find out from the web design company you’re considering where they fall on all six of those. Then, ask yourself the following: Are you comfortable with the answers? If not, it’s time to look for someone else to help you.