What to look for when hiring a blog designer

Today’s post comes from Kimberly Muro, a WordPress designer, parenting blogger and lifestyle photographer. 

One of the biggest purchases you will make as a blogger is a blog design. You can spice things up with just tweaking a few key elements or choose to have a complete design overhaul. Depending on the designer and the platform you blog in, prices can range from $50 to $500 to $1000+. That’s a big chunk of change, in my opinion, and I would want to make sure I was getting what I’m paying for.

So, what should you look for when hiring a blog designer?

Shop Around

Look around for blog designers that you like. If you read another blog and like their design, there is usually a link or a button to the blog designer’s page. Keep a list of designers that interest you.

Take a Peek

If the designer has a website, check it out. Look at their portfolio. Do they have a social media presence? If so, follow them online and watch to see their tone when interacting with others. If you know someone who has used them for their blog, ask to see how the designer conducted business.

Open Up

Send an email to the designer you are thinking of hiring. Ask them questions regarding their design process, any fees accrued, their wait list, and approximate project time. Tell them what you want and ask if they are able to accommodate your needs and vision. Ask them any other question you may have about their design process and business in general. How quickly do they respond to you? Do they have an inviting, friendly tone in their response?

Know Your Vision

Have an idea in mind of what you’re envisioning for your blog. Take any notes of color schemes, fonts, and graphics that you like and would want to use in your design. If there are sites that you could use as inspiration, include those as well. Having an idea of what you want makes it much easier to communicate with your designer.

Know What to Expect

When working with a designer you should know exactly what to expect during the entire process. Designers should have their contract and terms of service easily outlined. Deposits of some percentage of the full cost are required by most designers. It should state exactly what you will be getting for that price. Additionally, number of revisions included, penalties, late payments, refund information, response time and expected timelines should be clearly stated as well.

By doing your research and hunting around a little, hiring a blog designer can be a very pleasant and stress-free experience.

Be sure to check out Kim’s website design services and follow her on Twitter at @KimberlyAMuro and on her Facebook page.