You’ve come up with a great product. You’ve got the sales letter written for your website. Now you need the graphic design to complement your product and the text that describes it. Not being artistically inclined or adept at the technicalities of computer graphics, you decide you need some help.

You may be thinking, "I’m not sure I can afford to hire a professional graphic designer." The truth of the matter is that you most likely can’t afford not too.

Why?

A poorly designed web site, or a site that is glaring “homemade, homemade, homemade” gives the impression that the product or service it is promoting is of the same quality. As you’ve heard before- People do judge a book by its cover. Your book’s cover is your web site.

Fact of Life on the Internet- If your entire site doesn’t look professionally designed you’ve got major problems. At best making a profit with a poorly designed website is going to be a struggle.

So… you decide maybe your site does need the touch of a pro. Who do you choose?

As you begin your search you’re obviously going to try and make sure you get the best “bang for your buck”. Before you make a decision make sure all your questions are answered, preferably in writing. Some questions that you will definitely want answers for are listed below.

1) Is this person a professional? (Ask to see samples of their work)

2) Is this person trustworthy? (Ask how long they’ve been in business, and if they can provide references)

3) Are the prices fair and reasonable? (Make it clear you will be getting more than one proposal on the work you need)

4) Will I get the quality I need? (Make sure upfront that the professional you’re hiring will do revisions if necessary.)

Many of these questions can often be answered while viewing the designer’s own site. It will give you an instant review of their work. Often there will also a page containing samples of their work. If not, don’t hesitate to ask.