You're set on getting a Web site for your business or organization. You're sure that you want a site, but the thought of hiring a professional Web designer... it sounds, well expensive. Can't you just call on a company secretary, or a friend of the family, or your 12-year-old niece, to design the site? After all, with all the HTML editors and converters out there these days, it's easy to design a site, right?

It is true that HTML isn't exactly rocket science: anyone with the right program, or a couple of hours with one of the hundreds of HTML books currently available, can create a Web page. But is that the best possible Web page? Is it the right page for your needs? What happens when you want to tie in a company database or electronic commerce? Or just get some better, original graphics?

Just as you hire professionals in any number of fields to handle specific tasks correctly and efficiently, there is a role for a professional Web designer for you. For a variety of reasons, a Web designer can create an effective site that meets your needs, and even do so affordably.

1) Online communications skills

There's more to Web design than just knowing some HTML tags. Underlying all the technical protocols and languages is the basic ability to communicate who you are to your visitors. You already have a purpose in mind for your Web site (see our related article on this subject, if you haven't already.) A professional designer can use that purpose to create an effective architecture -- the foundation upon which to build your Web site. That designer can then fill in the details to create a site that people will enjoy and will meet your needs.

2) Knowledge of more than just HTML

The technical skills involved in creating an effective site have now evolved to more than just HTML. While HTML is the cornerstone of Web design, it's not everything. Web design involves creating suitable, low-bandwidth graphics; typography; developing CGI scripts, JavaScript routines, and Java applets for interactivity; and interfacing Web sites with backend databases. In the near future we'll see new technologies and standards like dynamic HTML (DHTML) and Extensible Markup Language (XML) take on key roles in Web design. As site design requirements become more sophisticated, it will require dedicated designers with a knowledge of these and other topics to best create effective Web sites.

3) Knowledge of the Web design field

In addition to keeping up with the latest in Web technologies, Web designers have to keep up with the latest news and events in the field. New design concepts appear on the Web every day, and professional designers have to monitor these changes and learn from them so they can effectively design their own sites. As the Web grows larger, and the pace of chance becomes faster, it takes a dedicated designer to be able to keep track of those changes.

4) Responsibility and accountability

It's a Web designer's business to create Web sites, thus, they have a strong incentive to do the job on time and as planned, if they want referrals and future business. A friend of family member may be able to do a good job with your Web site, but if Web design isn't their primary business, other roles and responsibilities may take a higher priority. (There are fly-by-night operators out there, as in any business, who will take your money and not deliver. That's what it's important to check on the past work a potential designer has done, as we mention in a separate article.)

This is not to say that a someone who isn't a professional designer can't do a good job. Many good sites are created by people who don't design sites as part of their job, but just for fun. In fact, many, if not most, professional Web designers got their start just playing around on the Web, designing sites for friends or based on our interests. However, if you're looking for a new or redesigned site for your business or organization, you should consider hiring a professional designer for these and other reasons.

Copyright © 1998 Jeff Foust, klx.communications. All rights reserved.

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