It used to be that Web designers were often like shade-tree mechanics, a friend or neighbor you could turn to to get the job done, correctly and at a bargain price.
But just as what’s under the hood has gotten more complicated, so has what’s behind the screen, and Web design has become a specialized pursuit that includes not only design, but search engine optimization, e-commerce payment engines, site hosting and cyber security.
And while there are people who design websites as a sideline, businesses that rely heavily on online channels to promote their business — and even moreso if they conduct it there — might want to consider someone who does it full-time.
That’s according to Cliff Smith at Pinnacle Network Systems of Florence, which provides network support and website development to a diverse clientele of private businesses and non-profit organizations.
“We see this scenario a lot, where a business turns to a friend of a friend who does websites at a very reasonable price. It’s great when it works out, but probably eight times out of 10 for us, we get calls from people who found out that their designer does this part-time, is hard to get hold of, isn’t getting it done, whatever,” Smith says.
So how does a business know when to turn to a Web designer, to go beyond the simple do-it-yourself sites offered by GoDaddy and myriad other online purveyors? That’s something the business ultimately needs to decide for itself.
“First, you have to decide what you want to do with your website. Why do you want it? If you can’t answer that question, you need to sit down with someone who can help you with that, someone in your line of work or someone who does Web design that you can have a non-self serving conversation with,” says Tim Brosnan of Creative Hammer, a one-person design and multi-media shop in Greenville who works with clients there and in Columbia.
“Once you’ve decided on what you really need, then you’re in a position to hire a Web designer,” Brosnan says. “If you decided what you need is basically an online brochure — which is a perfectly legitimate thing to have — then you don’t need to hire the online equivalent of an industrial construction company. You don’t need to hire Bechtel Engineering to drill a well in your back yard. I’ve seen folks pay far more money than they ever needed to. They would have done just as well by using a smaller company or independent contractor.”
That said, Brosnan noted that sometimes even smaller businesses might need more sophisticated sites that require extensive programming, payment engines and databases, and he and others in this space agree that can require teams and teamwork and serious investment.
Cynthia Gilliam, president of longtime advertising/public relations/marketing agency Semaphore Inc. in Columbia, says prices for a fully functional site like that would be similar to setting up a physical storefront – $25,000 to $100,000 for example.
“You can pay less, of course, for a simple online brochure, but like anything else, to a large degree you get what you pay for,” Gilliam says. “For instance, look at S.C. State’s website (
www.scsu.edu). It has a huge database, lots of functional features that provide video and updated information on news from the campus, sports, giving opportunities, distinguished graduates. You can’t do this unless you have a vision of what you want your site to be.”
And the back end is as important as what’s happening up front, something that often needs to be left up to specialists, says Rhonda Rawl, president of Stratagem, another Columbia marketing/public relations/advertising firm.
“I look for experts to partner with on these kinds of projects,” Rawl says. “Anyone can design something that looks snazzy or has a little flair to it, but the back end is just as important, if not more important. You need to use someone who knows how to build a solid foundation, a site that’s easy to navigate, works properly, does what you need it to and can be easily updated.”
She points to the onsite presence of client EC&M in St. Matthews. The industrial crane control manufacturer’s site at
www.ecandm.net is complex and broad but can be quickly updated with new products and marketing information, without extensive re-design costs, Rawl says.
“It’s like re-painting a room in a house, in a way. Build your house on a solid foundation and you don’t have to go back and re-do everything every time you want to make a little change,” Rawl says. “Nowadays that means being able to add things like Facebook and Twitter feeds and interactive contests and posting videos, whatever you might need.”
Businesses very large and very small alike turn to Web designers and specialists and, since it’s people working with people, the same principles apply. “Any close working relationship requires trust, respect and effective communication,” says Vidya Drego, an analyst with Forrester Research in Boston and recent author of a study of Fortune 500 companies’ use of specialty design agencies.
“When evaluating agencies to partner with, assess the chemistry the agency team has with your internal staff during the evaluation period,” Drego says. “Do they listen to your team, appropriately answer your questions, and address your concerns? Are they paying attention to you in your meetings or are they more interested in their iPhones? Remember, the relationship you establish is just as important as the skills the agency possesses.”
And while the great majority of the work can be done remotely, Drego and other experts advise getting together for the initial planning and key milestones along the way. And don’t be mystified by the technology.
“I remember when I started doing this 15 years ago or so, Web designers were like witch doctors,” Brosnan says. “People thought what we did was magic. I hope we’ve moved beyond that by now. It’s not magic.”