What is web design? Why does it matter? Can I design my website myself? How hard can it be? Can I hire a professional to design a website for my business? How much would that cost me? 

These are all common questions that all business owners have asked at one point or another. With these simple guidelines, we can answer all of these questions for you, and then some.

What is Web Design?

The term “web design” refers to the design of websites displayed on the Internet. It has a lot to do with the overall user experience and incorporates aspects of website development and software development. Website design is not only focused on designing websites that will display on a desktop browser. 

Because most people nowadays are using their phones whenever they search, all websites must be designed to be responsive to screens of all sizes. This includes smartphones, tablets, and laptops. 

A web designer and web developer work together to create a website, but both have different roles. A web designer works on the appearance, layout, and content marketing aspects of the website. 

A web developer is responsible for designing, coding, and modifying the website’s structure in terms of functionality. They ensure that the website is mobile-friendly and user-friendly. They speak the necessary programming language that most people don’t understand and use web hosting practices to construct the back-end of the website. 

Web design consists of aesthetically pleasing visual graphics. It incorporates a user-friendly navigational layout flow, and engaging content. The content and graphics should move dynamically throughout the user interface no matter what type of device is being used to visit the website. 

Creating a website is an art and science that is a crucial part of growing your business. Without an online presence, your business isn’t relevant. So this begs the million-dollar question, “why does web design matter?” Well, let’s keep going to learn more. 

Why Does Web Design Matter?

We live in a digitally-operated world where everything that we do is virtually controlled, managed, and generated via technology. Technology is the nucleus by which our economic and cultural system revolves around. The main form of this type of technology exists within the digital devices that we use every day. 

Collectively, we engorge ourselves in our phones, tablets, and computers for most of our day. Realistically, the only time that we’re away from these devices is when we’re asleep or engaging in a physical activity where these devices aren’t warranted. That means that we are on our phones, tablets, or laptops for most of our lives. 

Because of this, businesses have had to adapt to this way of life. All companies now have an online presence of some kind. Some websites are more established than others, which ultimately impacts their brand in either a positive or negative way. Web design and web development play a huge role in this overall impact. 

The main reason why web design is important is the way that it connects your business to your audience. 99/100 times, someone that inquires about a business or type of company (i.e., an Italian restaurant, phone repair, department store, etc.) will do so by searching online. 

They will search on Google, and on the results web pages, there are listings of businesses that are relevant to that search within the area where the search was conducted. Getting on that first page of Google’s results pages is crucial to any business and is always the primary goal in website building. To rank on search engines, it all starts with the right web design. 

Can I Design A Website Myself Or Should I Hire A Professional Web Designer?

Technically speaking, anyone can create a website. There are tons of website builders that make it easy for anyone to assign specific layout colors, add images, add content, and format web pages. However, quality is everything. The web design process incorporates a lot more than just adding pretty graphic designs and words on the page. 

Web design is a multi-disciplinary job where just knowing color theory and typography isn’t enough. Web designers are now required to have basic knowledge and skills in working with website development tools. They work with the psychology, motion design, information architecture, and content curation of a website that involves an in-depth insight and understanding of the human spirit. 

They create websites that appeal to the general public while pinpointing certain areas to attract a particular audience as well. Not everyone has a broad understanding of what it takes to build a high-quality website. This is why hiring a professional web designer is the best course of action to take. 

How Much Would A Web Designer Cost Me?

Most web designers charge by the hour, ranging from $50-$100 per hour. Some web designers might require a monthly retainer of $750-$1,500 per month of maintaining the website plus an additional one-time building fee. E-commerce businesses generally need web designers and developers to update the site for the company to continue growing. 

So in terms of pricing, this can vary. Depending on the size of the project, web designers calculate the amount of time and effort worked on the project when formulating a price. It’s essential to have a sit-down discussion of pricing with the web designer that you choose to hire before making any decisions. 

If they charge by the hour, monthly, or require a flat fee for the project, then this must be discussed in great detail before any work is started.