From here you can print the answers to all of the questions

 
1. May I see the websites that you have designed? Please give me the URLs (web addresses). 

General Answer: You would not think of hiring an interior decorator or an architect without seeing their work. Therefore, you must carefully review the web sites of the person that you are interviewing. As always, experience counts. They should be able to give you the web address of 5 web sites that they have designed professionally (received remuneration for their services.)
Also look at the web site that they have designed for themselves. Their individual web site may tell you a lot about their personality and some of the designs that they can do since they have complete "design freedom" on their personal web site. 

2. What do I look for when I review these sites?

General Answer: There are 2 things that you should look for when you review the web sites. They are overall design and navigation. 

Design: Design includes the overall layout of the site. Does it look too cluttered? 
Are colors used appropriately? What does the background look like? Are the fonts easy to read? Is there too much text on the page? Are the pages consistent with a similar "look" or familiarity for each page? Is there some type of an "identifier" or logo on each page? Does the designer rely too much on unnecessary animation and/or graphics? Is the important information up front?  Is there harmony among pages? 

Reference link: Color in Web Design - Web Design - 08/23/99 

Navigation: In technical terms this might be called User Interface. Sometimes we call it maneuverability or "moving around the web site." Are you able to move around the site easily? Does the site have a "table of contents" - linkages to important topics on the site? Does this "table of contents" appear on every page? Are the linkages clear? Are any linkages broken? Do you "get lost" in the site? Can you find your way back easily to the "home page?" Do you have to scroll down too much? Is there consistency throughout the site? Is the overall site "user-friendly" for someone who has not had experience in "surfing" the web? Are you able to find the information that you need easily? 

Reference link: Designing Effective Navigation - Web Design - 5/28/99

Content: Content is an important part of any web site. People are coming to your web site for the content. However, the content is not the responsibility of the web designer. It is the responsibility of the person who hires the web designer. It is the web designer's job to "lay out" the content on the web site in an attractive and easy to use manner. You cannot judge the web designer on the usefulness of the content on the web site.

Reference link:  Your Professional Social Work Web Site  

Hint:  Linkages:  If you want to link to other social work or mental health sites, you must provide the web designer with the URLs (web addresses) of these sites.  Your web designer will only make linkages where you tell her to.  If you want a search engine to find your site, tell the web designer to put a metatag in the HTML coding.      

Reference link: IOXY, The Three-Dimensional Website

3. How many web sites have you developed?

General Answer: As always, experience counts. If someone has had experience developing at least 5 web sites then most likely they have had some good solid experiences. They also should have received remuneration for these web sites.  For your professional web site, they do not have to have corporate level experience. Good experience may include designing web sites for other professionals, small companies, community organizations, churches, clubs, restaurants, etc.

4. May I have references for web sites X, Y and Z?

General Answer: Ask for references on specific web sites that you see. This is important to check to make sure that the person really did create the website. There are several major questions to ask the references:

(1) Was the web designer easy to work with? 
(2) Was the web site finished within the specified time frame?
(3) Did you test the web site prior to putting it up for the public?
(4) What type of problems/issues did you encounter in the design of the web site?
(5) What were the designer's prices? (this could vary depending on the project, etc.) By the hour? By the project?
(6) Is the designer maintaining your web site?
(7) Would you hire this person again? 

(5) What design software are you familiar with? What do you use?

Answer: There is a number of design software on the market. Each web designer has their own personal preference. Each software has its pros and cons. Some of the software used to design web sites are Microsoft FrontPage, Dreamweaver, and HomeSite. You do not have to be concerned with the software that your web designer uses. However, if she uses  more than one kind of software or if she is able to talk about the pros and cons of different software then you can make an assumption that she is knowledgeable and serious about web design. 

(6) How much do you charge? Do you charge by the hour or by the project? 

Answer: Prices are difficult to predict. There is a very wide range. You could be charged $20 an hour by a college student and up to $100 an hour by an expert designer. It appears that most designers would rather be paid by the hour than by the project. Designers complain that customers often change their minds about design and content and therefore many projects take more time than anticipated. 

Reference links: Advertising Age's Business Marketing Online  How much does it cost to build a Web Site (per hour)

Advertising Age's Business Marketing Online   Fixed vs. hourly:  Which is best?

(7) Should I have a contract with my web designer?

Answer: Definitely yes. You would not hire a housepainter or a lawyer without a contract. You should definitely have a contract or a written agreement signed by both of you whether you are hiring a corporation or a college student. The contract should stipulate the type of project, the approximate number of web pages, types of graphics/animation, mock- ups, number of mock ups that will be developed, testing the site, the estimated number of hours that the project will take, a start date and an end date, cost, when payment is due, etc. Often basic site maintenance may be included in the initial three months after your site is uploaded.  After that there is usually a charge.  You will also need to make sure that the site will be developed to accommodate most browsers - Internet Explorer and Netscape. If you want more unusual graphics or animation, audio and/or video there will be additional charges.  Payment dates should be tied to deliverables. For example, the web designer may want 20% up-front (to make sure that you are serious) then a payment with a mock-up, and a final payment when the web site is uploaded. Prices and deliverables must be discussed candidly with the web designer. If you hire a college student, remember that her studies may come first. These issues will need to be taken into consideration if you have a specific time frame. 

 It is also suggested that you state something in the contract that says the files belong to you and the web designer will provide them to you on demand.  That way, you will not have a problem if you hire someone else to maintain your site.  

Hint: Your preliminary steps are important.  If you have done a thorough job, writing a contract should go smoothly.  If you make a lot of changes during the design phase, it could cost you money.  Remember, you have to provide the content. It will be helpful to have the content both in a hard copy and in electronic format so that the web designer can review it and give you a better estimate of her time.  You also need to think about the graphics/animation, audio/video, etc. prior to the contract period.  

Reference link:  The 5 Phases of Web Design 

(8) Do I need to test the site?

This is a definite YES! It is essential to build testing into the agreement with your web designer. You know the old adage, "if anything is going to go wrong, it will." Prior to "going public" the web designer should test the site for you.  In addition you should have some friends test your site for design, content and navigation and the web designer needs to make the necessary changes based on feedback. 

(9) Will the web designer maintain my web site?

Answer: Once your lawn is landscaped, it is still necessary to maintain it. This is the same with your web site.  Since unanticipated problems may occur, the web designer is still responsible for broken links, bad graphics and unresponsive colors.  In addition, there may be minor changes that you will want to make to the web site. For example, you may want to announce a lecture that you are having or the location of a new office.  There should be a 1-3 month maintenance time period included in the price that you agree on initially.  You should also anticipate a monthly maintenance charge for additional minor changes that you may want to make. Again, you should have a contract or written agreement about maintenance.  Major changes in design or adding a long text may incur additional charges. 

Hint: If you want to have people coming back to your web site it is suggested that you make changes often. You can add information such as new announcements, summaries on good books, synopsis of lectures, your thought for the week, etc. However, your web designer may not consider this to be maintenance and charge extra.

(10) How will I find an Internet host company to "house" my site?

Answer: There are many companies that host web sites. Ask your web designer.  She should be familiar with a number of companies and have suggestions for you.   If she does not have information, you may want to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to see if they can host your web site. Some ISPs provide limited space for free. If they cannot do it they may have suggestions for you. You can find their advertisements in the paper or in an Internet magazine. The host company may also do some minor web maintenance. You can talk with them about it. The cost of hosting your website will vary and depend on how large it is, including the number of graphics. There are a variety of services offered and different guarantees.  One company charges $50 a year for a site with 5 megabytes and up to $500 per year for 20 megabytes. Another company charges $20 a month with a $50 setup fee and 50 megabytes of space and 2 gigabytes transfer. Another charges $29.95 a month with 30 megabytes of space and 2 gigabytes transfer. There are some that are as low as $9.99 per month.  There are many host companies that offer free web space that offer a range of services and arrangements.    
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