Web Design Resources
Pros and Cons of Freelance Web Designers
While almost everyone today knows and understands the importance of having a web presence, there are still quite a few individuals who are not particular of how their website looks. This is still true in India, where many small / medium businesses are still not convinced about the necessity of having a professionally designed website. To save money, these people approach a freelancer, typically someone who they know or are known through someone. A freelancer is usually a single person, with a bit of designing knowledge, bit of HTML knowledge and some scripting knowledge. While freelance web designers can execute a site efficiently, the same can't be said about it's effectively.
First impressions DO matter, and your clients won't ask you the price you have paid to create your website. If it is not up to the mark, chances are that they will go to someone who is.
While hiring a freelance designer is not a bad idea per se, these people do not weigh the pros and cons of hiring a freelancer. To understand why it is a crucial decision, let's take a look at the basic processes involved in the designing of a website.
1 UI Designing
The first and most important step in the designing of a website is the UI. Freelance designers can provide excellent web site UIs.
2 Content Development
The second crucial aspect of website design is the content. Most freelancers do not have expertise to develop content and require the client to provide it to them.
3 HTML coding / programming
For a simple, static type website, download speeds may not matter much, and the HTML coding skills of a freelance designer are good enough. But as the complexity of the website grows, it is essential to write lean HTML, which cannot be done using the usual WYSIWYG HTML editors. Further, if the site involves programming, then the freelancer has to resort to outsourcing, which delays the website completion.
4 Support
Freelancers usually work alone, and in case you need any urgent support and they are unavailable for any reason, you are stuck. With a full fledged website design company, you are assured of at least basic support at any point of time.
Conclusion
If you want to have only a static, brochure type website, a freelance designer can provide excellent value for money. But if you seriously are looking at a website to bring you business, you would be better off with a full fledged web design company.
First impressions DO matter, and your clients won't ask you the price you have paid to create your website. If it is not up to the mark, chances are that they will go to someone who is.
While hiring a freelance designer is not a bad idea per se, these people do not weigh the pros and cons of hiring a freelancer. To understand why it is a crucial decision, let's take a look at the basic processes involved in the designing of a website.
1 UI Designing
The first and most important step in the designing of a website is the UI. Freelance designers can provide excellent web site UIs.
2 Content Development
The second crucial aspect of website design is the content. Most freelancers do not have expertise to develop content and require the client to provide it to them.
3 HTML coding / programming
For a simple, static type website, download speeds may not matter much, and the HTML coding skills of a freelance designer are good enough. But as the complexity of the website grows, it is essential to write lean HTML, which cannot be done using the usual WYSIWYG HTML editors. Further, if the site involves programming, then the freelancer has to resort to outsourcing, which delays the website completion.
4 Support
Freelancers usually work alone, and in case you need any urgent support and they are unavailable for any reason, you are stuck. With a full fledged website design company, you are assured of at least basic support at any point of time.
Conclusion
If you want to have only a static, brochure type website, a freelance designer can provide excellent value for money. But if you seriously are looking at a website to bring you business, you would be better off with a full fledged web design company.