Look how old this is! I post at SearchCommander.com now, and this post was published 19 years 2 days ago. This industry changes FAST, so blindly following the advice here *may not* be a good idea! If you're at all unsure, feel free to hit me up on Twitter and ask.
Yahoo search marketing has a great article here that explains what to look for and think about when you’re hiring a web designer. Give it a read before you hire a web designer for your next project…
It has always been my experience that if you are ever in a position to need the services of a web designer, stop. Don’t do it. Go to Border’s and buy a book and teach yourself. The majority of consultants in the PDX area are short on knowledge and talent but long on billing high rates.
You know Mr. Viddy, you’re correct that it’s not that difficult to design a website, and buying a good book can teach you the basics.
However, spending time reading and learning how to design a website is just not always practical for the small business owner that has employees, customers and a family that must all come first.
Outsourcing my auto repair and my kitchen appliance installation is something I learned to do long ago if I wanted to maximize my productivity.
Portland web designers come in all ranges of skill and experience, and to say that the majority are short on knowledge may not be quite fair.
Also, buy that book then sink in your $10K investment into your site according to your new found book knowledge. You will find that your $10,000 learning project would have been better spent on an expert with a proven background.
I see people like Mr. Viddy make this mistake then come crying to the expert to ‘salvage what is left.”
Save yourself the heartache and learning curve by hiring a professional.
That is nice information…
If you have a different font on your site it won’t matter much. But if you have a bad bug in your code it could crash your entire site.