Thinking about hiring a website designer, huh?
Maybe you've been putting it off for a while. Maybe you thought you’d tackle it in a DIY style. Maybe you thought to yourself, “Sure, I’ll hire someone when I get the vision right.”
First of all, every one of those scenarios is something that business owners (just like you) have already been through.
My best recommendation? Relax, breathe, and know this: you don’t have to have it all figured out before you team up with a website designer.
In fact, it’s almost better if you don't!
The idea that you can only work with a professional website designer if you’ve got a vision is a myth – and it’s not the only website design myth out there.
There's a lot that goes into custom website design, from strategy and user experience (UX) to the actual visual design, development, and launch. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the myth that you can’t hire someone until you know what you’re looking for popped up – and that keeps business owners like you from truly thriving.
So, let’s bust that myth and the top four others!
The Top 5 Website Design Myths: What You Should Know About Hiring a Website Designer
Myth #1: I Need a Clear Vision Before Hiring a Website Designer
Nope! Wrong! Not at all.
Most people think you have to come to your first meeting with a highly curated Pinterest board, a complete website layout, and a list of every single page you want.
Sure, if you've got some fun ideas you'd love to bring to life, that’s great. By all means, bring that to the meeting. But if you're starting with a general feeling of what you want your website to look like, we can work with that, too.
A big part of my professional website design process is strategy and creative direction. Those are things that are my job – that’s why you pay someone like me.
We'll talk about your business, your customers, your goals, and what you need your website to accomplish. From there, we can build a vision that feels like you while making sure the structure actually works for your audience.
Remember, creative direction is part of what you're hiring me for. You don't have to do that work before we even start!
Myth #2: A Website Designer Only Designs, Someone Else Will Launch It
This one comes from an older way of doing things. In many past cases, designers would create the visual mockups and hand them off to someone else, like a website developor.
This is a half-true myth, because some web designers do still work that way.
But many of them – like House on Fire – handle both website design and website development.
When you work with me, we’re not just designing a pretty little website and sending you off to figure out the rest. I handle the design, build, and launch of your custom Squarespace website.
That means we’ll take your vision and the creative direction from our initial strategy session all the way to becoming a functioning website that your customers can actually use.
Myth #3: I Need a Finalized List of Pages & Strict Organization Before I Hire a Designer
This is another big myth I love to bust! That's where user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design come in – AKA, where designers and developers like me enter the equation.
Your website should never be looked at as just a collection of pages. It's a complete journey your potential customers take – so the order, layout, and connections between those pages matter.
Let’s say you're a photographer who books lots of mini sessions. Your services page might deserve a spot near the front of your navigation. If wedding photography is another major offering, that should be easy to find, too.
We want to think about what your customers are looking for, what information they need, and where we want them to go next.
That’s why a custom approach matters so much.
Even the tiniest details matter. What do you call your services page? Where does a button lead? If someone finishes reading your About page, what's the next step you want them to take?
All of these decisions contribute to a better user experience (UX), making your website easier to navigate and helping customers find what they're looking for.
You don't need to know the answers before hiring a designer. That’s what your designer should be doing with and for you.
Myth #4: I Can Handle Branding, Photos, & Website Copy After the Design Is Done
OK, listen up and pay attention because this one is nuanced.
Yes, you can technically take this approach to your website – but it’s not always wise.
Having your branding, photography, and website copy ready before we dive into website design makes a huge difference in your site and the timeline of everything.
All of these elements help shape the entire visual direction and experience of your site’s design.
If we're spending half our design time trying to decide on colours, fonts, and imagery because your branding isn't established yet, we're taking time away from the actual website strategy and design.
Your brand identity gives us a foundation to work from. Your photos help inspire the layout and create those eye-catching sections. And your website copy tells us what needs to be communicated, how much space it needs, and how customers should move through the site.
And as a side note, please, don't leave your website copy until the last minute.
I want you reviewing your new website for its UX, layout, and design – not getting stuck with rewriting paragraphs when we're supposed to be making visual decisions.
If you're not sure whether your brand is ready for a website, check out 7 Signs It's Time to Pull Away from DIY Website Design.
Myth #5: Everything Needs to Be Hashed Out Before the Hiring Process
Not quite! Though, there are a few little things worth thinking about before we get started.
I always recommend having an idea of which website platform you'd prefer. You don’t need to have it set in stone, but understanding what your options are is helpful. It will also help you hire the right kind of designer. I typically work with Squarespace, but we can chat about whether it's the right fit for your business.
You'll also want to secure your domain name. You don't need to wait until you've hired a designer or purchased a website subscription to do this. You can purchase your domain separately and have it ready when it's time to launch.
Branding, website copy, and photography are all helpful to have before design: As I mentioned, that’s the ideal scenario. But if you’re still figuring out these details, let’s talk. I have lots of recommendations and can help you plan the best approach for your timeline and budget.
If you're wondering whether you're actually ready to invest in a custom website, I've put together a website design readiness checklist to help you figure out what you need.
Ready to Hire a Website Designer? Let's Light This Up
Hiring a website designer should make your life – and running your business – so much easier. It should not (heavy on the not) leave you feeling like you need to become a designer yourself just to get started.
At House on Fire, we combine strategy, custom design, and Squarespace development to create a website that looks incredible and gives your customers a seamless experience.
You bring your business, your ideas, and a little creative spark. I'll help bring the rest to life. Check out our custom website design services and let's build something that’s worth showing off!
