How to hire a web designer whom you can trust

You've just started your business and realized it doesn't have a website or web application to showcase your business and/or automate your processes. You can learn web design and create a website or an app by yourself or hire a professional who is specialized in these kinds of stuff. Before jumping right into it, you have to find a professional web designer (or developer) whom you can trust. Someone who is good at this and knows what they're doing. In this blog, I will list some signs and qualities to help you decide whether you've found a trustworthy professional and what to look for in a web designer or developer before getting started. Mind you, it doesn't mean that they have to possess every standard on this list. However, the more criteria they fulfill, the better.

Check their website

First is their website. Which is expected from a web designer or a web developer because they do not need anyone else to do it for them. The website should look both professional as well as accessible on all modern devices. Be it smartphones or desktops. Additionally, check for testimonials or reviews from their clients. Normally, you would be able to view a significant portion of their professional information. Such as tools or technologies they use to build digital solutions like websites, e-commerce online stores, CRM's and more. Some developers or web designer may specialize in programming languages and frameworks for developing large-scale, custom applications, while others may focus on platforms like WordPress for creating mediocre, simple websites.

Check their Google My Business profile

When you search for something through Google Search, such as “coffee shop near me”, you might see a result with a map on your screen. Furthermore, you would be able to check reviews written for each business listed on the results, along with their name and address. This is called Google My Business profile. It comes in handy when you want to find out their location, service area and customer reviews. However, in most cases, this feature does not provide as much information like a website does.

Projects developed

Find out if they have previously developed websites or apps. This will provide you with practical examples that can help you determine the developer's level of experience. Normally, you can view their previous projects on their website or somewhere on social media. Their previous realizations doesn't necessarily have to be for their clients though. You also have to keep their hobby projects into consideration. If you are lucky and have some technical background, you might discover what technologies they've used.

Ask previous customers

This might take some effort. You have to seek out their contact details like phone number or email address to figure out their opinion about the services provided by the developer. It might be about an e-commerce online store, CRM, mobile app, a simple business website, etc. Most of the times you can find their names listed somewhere on their website (if they have one) and if you are lucky, you can find their contact information as well.

Check their Resume/CV

On their resume, you can find essential information about their professional background. Such as the number of years of experience they have, whether they hold a degree or certification and other relevant details. Inspecting their resume or CV can provide some valuable information when it comes to knowing their qualifications and expertise.

Use Google Search

Lastly, you can make use of Google Search to find more information about the (company) name of a web designer. See if they make use of social media platforms like Facebook. Are there other links in Google Search results that approve their professionalism? Try to gather as much information as possible before deciding whether you want to proceed with the web designer or not.

Conclusion

These are, in my honest opinion, the top six relevant sources to consider whether you should hire the professional or not. While there might be more sources to explore, delving into all of them would take a lot of time. In fact, using Google Search would be enough to discover the developer's professional background. And as mentioned earlier, it is important not to bail out when someone does not meet a certain criterion.