26 Oct The Best Website Designers Have These Things In Common
A website is the online home of your business. Just like a physical storefront, it too will be the first impression for many – and it needs to be a good one. Making it essential that you hire the best website designers for the job. Someone who is on top of changes in technology, design trends, and search engine optimization. Who has a stellar reputation, the portfolio to back it up, and sees the success of your business as their success. To ensure you find the best designer for your web launch or update, make sure they check all the following boxes!
Style & Aesthetic
Style and aesthetics are two different things but are closely related. Style, like in fashion, is the specific way anyone designer’s work looks. Aesthetics is a design principle that defines a design’s pleasing qualities. In visual terms, aesthetics includes factors such as balance, color, movement, pattern, scale, shape, and visual weight whereas style is how a specific designer or team pulls those things together. The best website designers have both and can emulate your brand’s voice. Ask to see recent examples of their work, specifically websites, to get an overall feel for their style. You want to work with a person whose personal style and aesthetic align with yours as well as showcase a range of work. This way your site is more likely to be unique and not look like other websites they have designed.
Responsiveness
When we talk about responsiveness, we’re referring to how easy a person is to get ahold of, and if they respond in a timely and professional manner. A lot of people overlook responsiveness, but among the best website designers, it is a top priority. It’s always a red flag if it’s challenging to get a hold of your designer. It’s also a red flag if they are super fast to respond or email/text at all hours – either they have no clients or no boundaries. You want a steadfast partner here, someone who is as committed to the success of the project as you, not someone who is struggling to juggle multiple projects and spiraling towards burnout.

Client Website for Enchanted Florist (one of Path & Compass’ specialty industry niches – weddings!)
Price
At Path and Compass, it takes our team between 30-45 hours to build a standard starter website. A lot more if we’re doing custom builds, graphics, adding a sales funnel, brand, or performing copywriting. If you are getting website bids for less than $500 or $1000, just know that it’s hardly a livable wage and definitely not the fees of a top website designer. This isn’t always to say that they’re a bad designer. But the majority of the time you get what you pay for. If you decide to risk it and the final product isn’t to your liking, consider how much money and opportunity will be lost for your business. Especially when your website – your online home – was made for a bargain price, exploiting other people’s labor.
Industry Niche
What is an industry niche? It is the subset of the market on which a specific company is focused. Universal standards will often define an industry niche – the target audience, vernacular and sales funnels users expect. You should consider the type of experience any given web designer has regarding your industry niche. Do they work within it a lot? Do they have specific samples that they can show you? If so, this can shortcut things as they are more familiar with the industry. And will help you feel more confident in regard to the work they will be performing. Note! Most top designers may specialize in certain industries but work across fields and businesses. Being able to adapt to other niches and bring a fresh perspective is what makes them the best.

Client Website for AeroSci – outside Path & Compass’ industry niche but a favorite website project of ours.
What Platform They Build On
When it comes to the platforms you can build a website on, you have a lot of options. WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix are some of the most popular. Most web designers have their preferences and are able to tell you about the pros and cons of each. So that you can pick the best option for your business offerings and goals. This being said, most designers/developers will have a preferred platform. Sometimes this might mean you find a designer you click with, but who doesn’t have the expertise in the platform that best fits your business goals. Be thoughtful about choosing the platform first, and the designer second. As talented as they are, if their skills don’t align with your goals, they are not the right fit.
What else do they bring to the table?
Unless you solely need web design, it’s always a good idea to inquire about a person’s other skill sets. For example, can they help with copywriting? What about designing your brand/logo or other details of a branding suite? Will they be available to offer ongoing support once the initial launch is over? It’s important that you get the details on these additional services so you can see how this person or agency can support you as you grow. Hiring a person or team with a wider skill set can make your life much easier – as in fewer people to hire and oversee.
On the hunt for the best website designers for your upcoming launch, or for an update? As always, our Nashville marketing agency is here to help with logo and website design, SEO, sales funnel, and more. Just give us a shout – inquiry@pathandcompass.com.