How to hire a reliable web designer

You have just started your business and realize it does not have a website or web application to showcase your business and/or automate your processes. You can learn web design and build a website or app yourself, or hire a professional who specializes in it. Before you jump right into it, you need to find a professional web designer (or developer) whom you can trust. Someone who is good at this and knows what they are doing. In this blog, I will list a few factors to help you decide if you have found a reliable professional and how to contact them. Please note, it does not mean that every factor listed must be fulfilled.

Check their website

First and foremost, you should pay attention to their website. It is expected from a web designer or a web developer since they do not need anyone else to do it for them. The website should look both professional and accessible on all modern devices. Whether it's smartphones or desktops. Also, check for reviews from their clients. Normally, you would learn some details about their professional life. Such as tools or technologies they use to develop digital solutions like websites, webshops, CRMs, and more. Some developers or web designers might specialize in programming languages and frameworks to develop large-scale, custom applications, while others might focus on platforms like WordPress to build mediocre websites.

Check their Google My Business profile

When you search for something via Google Search, like 'coffee shop near me', you might see a result with a map on your screen. Furthermore, you could see reviews, name, and address of each business listed in the results. This is called Google My Business. It comes in handy if you want to know the location, service area, and customer reviews. However, in most cases, Google My Business provides less information than a website.

Projects developed

Try to find out if they have developed websites or apps. This will give you practical examples to assess the experience of the developer or web designer. Normally, you can view previous projects on their website. They should not necessarily be for clients. You should also consider their hobby projects. With some technical background, you might also discover which technologies they had used for each project.

Existing clients

This requires some effort. You need to look up the contact information of existing clients, such as phone number and/or email address, to get their opinion on the services of the developer. It can be an e-commerce online store, CRM, mobile app, a simple business website, etc. Usually, you can find their names somewhere on the website of the web developer or web designer (if they have one) and if you are lucky, you might also find their contact details.

Check their CV

Their CV contains essential information about their professional background. Such as the number of years of experience they have, whether they possess a degree and/or certificate, and other relevant details. Inspecting their CV can provide valuable information if you want to know the necessary qualifications and expertise of the web designer or web developer.

Use Google Search

Lastly, you can use Google Search to find more information about the (company) name of a web designer. See if they are using social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn. Maybe there are other links in Google search results that make the web designer or developer more reliable? Or the opposite? Try to gather as much information as possible before deciding to get started and request a quote.

Conclusion

These are, in my opinion, the top six relevant sources to consider whether the selected professional is reliable or not. In fact, Google Search alone is enough to find out the background of the web designer or web developer.