Assuming that my web guy died is actually giving him the benefit of the doubt; I have no idea where his is. Falling off the face of the earth is always a plausible explanation. Emails aren’t bouncing and voice mail isn’t full so it’s probably more likely that he’s made a conscious decision to hang me out to dry.

Situations like this call into question the professional ethics and reliability of the virtual web professional. Being a web designer and developer myself, I know that we shouldn’t all be painted with the same brush. Perhaps it’s my business background or the value that I place on my reputation that makes me push to please, complete, improve, excel . . . or to simply do what it is that I say I’m going to do.

The inspiration for this post came from a recent personal experience involving hiring and working with another web designer. The “incident” was painful, costly and (in retrospect) avoidable, or one where the damages could have at least been mitigated.

So over the past several months I’ve been searching out other web professionals to put in my short list of “go to” sub-contractors that I could outsource specialty projects or project pieces to. In my process of identifying these “professionals,” I disregarded the steps of selecting a web designer that I advise others to use (listed below). Perhaps it was the lack of urgency that accompanied this early-stage, network-building effort, but in the end it would be this list that I would go to when the need arose and the work was at hand.

Well, the work was at hand just two weeks ago. An incredibly valuable client handed my name off to their associate with a very high personal recommendation. The work for this new client had a very tight time line, but was within my abilities and my schedule was open so I took it on. As soon as the project got underway though, two separate fires broke out with existing clients that required my immediate attention.

No problem, right? I was prepared, having preemptively assembled a list of professionals to turn to in just a situation as this. With a hard-earned recommendation and my reputation on the line, I went straight to the top and contacted the individual who appeared to be the most capable, professional and expensive. Everything went as planned . . . right up until the due date! Daily communication over the four days of the project pointed to a successful completion. The evening before the due date, I received what would be the last communication with my “professional,” stating that polishing touches along with the latest revisions were being made. And then silence________. I haven’t heard from him since. When noon rolled around the next day, after several (a dozen) phone messages and emails, I got the sinking feeling that I was left holding the bag . . . and the bag was empty.

After the anger and frustration was pushed back, I contacted the client—who in turn needed to present drafts to their client that day—and let them know that I had nothing. Nothing! I was sending them into their meeting empty handed. Just thinking about it right now gets my heart rate up. What in the world happened? Where was this guy? Who was this guy? Ah, now we’re getting some where! (try that last phrase with your best Inspector Clouseau accent) Clumsy and disoriented is exactly how I felt too. My pre-assembled list of web designers was put together without a sense of urgency. Well, the urgency was being sensed now.

In the end, I needed to purchase additional tools (consequently equal to the project budget itself) and work through the weekend to make the launch deadline early the next week. While I’m please to say that the project was ultimately completed on time, I’m even more pleased that the client relationship was preserved–not just with the new client, but with the referral source as well. There was no easy out in this situation. And in the end, being open with the client and doing what it took to get the job done earned their appreciation and desire to work together in the future.

So back to the “who was this guy?” question. Where I went wrong was not doing my homework and background checks, namely not checking references and past work. The process doesn’t have to be as involved as it sounds. Read on for some valuable comments on selecting and hiring a web design professional.

Considerations for selecting and hiring a web designer

• Professional web designer vs. do it yourself. Hiring a professional for the job isn’t a new question; it can be asked at almost any juncture—plumbing, auto care, even dinner. The answer of course isn’t necessarily straight forward. Ask yourself: What is your time worth, how much will the right tools cost, what quality does the final product need to be? and on… The tools available to the do-it-yourselfer have definitely improved over time and have made it a viable option for some entry-level, low-budget or semi-professional projects. From my experience however, if the need is business related then the choice is professional. Sometimes, too often in fact, that decision is made after taking the do-it-yourself road to only find out that the end product missed the mark by so much that it’s embarrassing to show friends, let alone potential customers. In those cases, more money was spent than simply going with a professional web designer in the first place.
• Choose a web professional. There are several professional options to go with. Often the two choices presented are freelance or big company. But consider the often overlooked players in the web design world, including small design shops and branding/marketing firms.
  - Freelance web designers are individuals that take on every facet of the project and will be working personally with you. This personal touch can provide a level of comfort that a large company can not. On the other hand, many freelancers have no structure or formal business to point to, leaving a lot to question.
  - Big web design companies appears to have credibility. Sheer size can give clients a sense of security and confidence. However, as company size increases the cost of personal touch increases as well.
  - Small web design shops can offer both a personal touch and the security of a formalized company (LLC, corporation). Small web design businesses often have the internal resources and skills to fully handle small to medium size/complex projects. When and where needed, small web shops will bring in outside experts to get the job done right, but will continue to manage the project and provide you with a single point of contact and accountability.
  - Branding and marketing companies, both large and small, can be excellent web design facilitators. Using a branding and/or marketing company to manage the project offers the advantage of consistency across your businesses marketing collateral, but this level of professional consulting also comes with a higher price tag.
• Ask for a price quote. But keep in mind that an exact price quote requires an accurate project scope - the more complex the project the more work is require to scope it. Often web designers are asked to provide an itemized quote (scope) of a project. In essence, the “potential” client gets the web designer to do the leg-work on a project for free. If you haven’t done your homework on the concept first, don’t be surprised to get little in return from a designer/developer who is asked to risk their time and effort in exchange for a “chance” at getting selected for the project.
• Call and ask questions. Have a conversation with the professional to see if you’re both compatible. If they speak over you with technical jargon or speak at you in a way that you’re just not comfortable, then it’s a good sign that you should keep looking. The web design and development process has a high level of client touch and you will be spending a good deal of time with them on the phone, back and forth with emails and possibly in person. If you don’t communicate well with your designer, an already intricate and challenging process will be made impossible.
• Check references. Read testimonials and talk to clients. Don’t be afraid for contacting clients directly by tracking them down from the professional’s portfolio. When a web designer values their reputation, they will be more then happy to put you in touch with satisfied clients. And in the end will have a vested interest in preserving that reputation to which you now have direct access.
• Local vs. remote. Meeting with a designer in person is a personal preference and I completely understand the need for some to have the “hand shake” introduction. I tend to gain clients from word-of-mouth and referral, so a level of comfort on both sides is achieved that can often overcome the need for a face-to-face meeting. If you’ve considered all of the previous comments and recommendations listed here, then the decision to hire a local or remote web professional will be a fairly easy one when decision time comes.

About the author: Dominic Taverniti, owner of Applied Web Vitals, is a web design and development professional with clients throughout the U.S. and abroad. Dominic was recently honored with a Webby Award nomination for work on the Eyes On Darfur website, an Amnesty International special project.