Starting an Aesthetics Business Series: Tips to Hiring a Website Designer

A website these days is essential for almost any type of business, and an aesthetics business is no different. Many people these days use the Internet and search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN and Dogpile the way they used to use the Yellow Pages when it comes time to find a business. A spa business, to stay in business in the 21st century needs a simple, but attractive web presence via a website.

Start Your Search Online

When looking for a website designer the first place to look would, of course, be the Internet itself. Doing a search of web designers both in your area and outside of it should lead designer candidates to interview. Take a look at the samples they provide. Examples of their previous work are the best way to determine if they are capable of creating the type of web site that you wish. It also is a good idea to check their references.

Look at a Designer's Previous Website Work

Talk to the owners of the websites they have created and see if the sites were completed on time and at the promised price. Find out also if they used templates or original designs. Many people prefer to stick with only original designs which raises the price, but there are literally thousands of templates available and you may find a design that really suits your needs and be able to save time and money

Find out if the web designer you are considering using has a maintenance agreement he or she might work out with you. Or, they may be willing to put extensions on the site allowing you to make updates and changes as needed using a program like Dream Weaver or FrontPage, or one of the many freeware utilities out there that do the same thing. Or, you may prefer to learn a little HTML code. It isn’t difficult.

SEO Is An Important Consideration These Days

Also, check with the designer about SEO, or search engine optimization. Your website won’t do you a lot of good if clients can’t find it on the web. Your site will need to contain keywords that make it come up in searches for your type of business and your city. The site also needs to be submitted to the major search engines. You can do this yourself for free, or the designer may have a low priced package deal for you including submission to all the major search engines.

Compatibility is Key

Also, make sure that the designer keeps older computers in mind. If a potential client is using a four or five year old computer you don’t want so many graphics that it runs slow on the old machine or on dial up. Keep it simple and your website will serve you well.