How To Find a Cheap Website Designer

There are millions of website design companies operating in the U.S. today, and each has their own design methods, fees, and requirements. How do you choose the right one? What can you expect? Here are some tips to help you in your search...

Where to find cheap website designers

  • Browse the listings right here at Dirt Cheap Web Designs!
  • Search Engines like Google and Yahoo.
  • Post a job at www.elance.com and let web professionals bid on your project.
  • Word of mouth... ask a co-worker, friend, family member, or even that acquaintance you met in the checkout line at the grocery store.

Tips for finding cheap website designers

Look for website design companies that have the following:

  • Friendly, helpful service.
    From the very first contact with your designer, he/she should be open and willing to work with you.
  • Fast response time.
    Some people consider one week to be a reasonable response time, while others can barely wait ten minutes. Your designer should be able to tell you what their typical turnaround time is.
  • Free consultations.
    It pays to know ahead of time if you'll be charged for consultations, training, and/or to have a question answered.
  • Visual appeal.
    The designer should have a portfolio online or provide you with references upon request. Because we all have different aesthetic tastes in art, language, and WEBSITE DESIGN, it's best to see some samples up front.
  • Technical skill.
    Websites should be technically correct, visuallly appealing, and search engine friendly.
    (Hint: You can check for Valid HTML markup and Valid CSS markup at the W3C website! One or two errors should not be much concern but if you see hundreds of error messages, that's a clue that the website may not work properly in all browsers.
  • Satisfaction Guarantee.
    What happens if you hire a cheap website designer and then hate your new website? This can be a sticky area if the company limits the number of revisions included in the price. Look for designers that offer multiple layout samples included in your quoted price and/or a satisfaction guarantee.

What NOT to do:

  • Don't expect full samples, graphics work-ups, or free design work before you've made a deposit or signed a contract.
  • Don't promise tons of future work in exchange for cheap prices today. Any designer that's been around the block more than once will see right through this as a ploy. You will lose their respect (and possibly a great designer).
  • Don't lie about your budget in hopes of getting a cheaper price. You are only wasting your time and the time of your prospective designer. If you're afraid of getting ripped off, ask for a list of package pricing (if available) or an estimate of total hours and cost per hour.