Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

Why should you hire a web designer?

Your website is often the first thing your customers see when they’re searching for a business or service on the web. As the face of your organization, your website needs to be attractive and functional, offering the latest features that users now expect. To plan and design a site that both reflects your company’s mission and values and appeals to customers takes a professional web designer. While free online services can help people set up websites, web designers can provide a unique solution made specifically to meet customers’ personal or business needs.

Most web designers offer a wide variety of services to make your website aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. Modern web design must be mobile-friendly and scalable, capable of expanding to include a blog, social media sites, and even video streaming; web designers are experts at integrating various web technologies. They can build the site, add functionality, test it, launch it on a live server, and track and maintain its performance.

In addition to web design and graphic design, some web design providers also offer development and security services, including search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing and management, logo design, site maintenance, domain registration and hosting, protection against malware, and digital marketing and content services.

What makes a good logo design?

A good logo is an easily identifiable, memorable image that represents your brand. A good logo design aligns with your business model and expresses your company’s core values. A good logo design is simple, appealing, and easy for customers and viewers to quickly process. Some of the key components of a great logo are type, color palette and design. The scale, font and arrangement of the text you select will all make a difference in the feel and representation of your brand. A graphic designer will help you home in on the colors that best represent your identity and help you keep the color palette simple. The design of your logo includes the shapes you select and the way the color and type are arranged together. Investing in the services of a professional to create your logo design is likely a smart investment for any size business. Nationally, the average price range for a logo designer ranges from $170 to $250.

How much do web designers charge?

The average cost for hiring a web designer varies greatly depending on the scope of the work, which may range from building a site from scratch to rebranding an existing one, as well as the amount of content and graphics the designer will create. In general, the more complex the project, the more time the design agency will have to spend. Because web designers often work on an hourly basis, the longer the project, the higher the costs; you can count on the web designer spending at minimum 10 hours to create a very basic website with just a handful of pages with few elements. Prices also depend on the designer’s skill set, the process, and the company’s rates. In general, the national average cost for a basic website package starts at $500, but a customized website can cost as much as $2,000 or more. Here are typical average hourly rates, broken out by the complexity of the work:

Basic layout and user interface: $15-$40 per hour
Content management system design: $20-$50 per hour
Custom website design with custom code: $45-$75 per hour

What should you look for in a website designer?

A professional web designer creates the look and feel of your website, collaborating with you to choose colors, creating logos and other branding materials, establishing page layouts, and creating sample pages. An important part of web design is making sure the site is functional, meets your goals, and is easy for users to navigate. When you’re looking to hire a web designer, start by reviewing the person’s portfolio. Look for samples of work that match what you envision for your website, including experience building the types of pages or features you want. Make sure the web designer is familiar with your industry and understands both industry trends and web design trends — an old-fashioned or out-of-touch site will turn customers away rather than intrigue them.

Because web designers tend to work as freelancers on a project basis, they must be excellent communicators, willing to manage their own work, and available on your schedule. Some critical skills, such as working collaboratively and responding enthusiastically to feedback, aren’t core to good web design, but make working with a web designer much easier. Finally, look for a web designer who has cross-functional knowledge, such as understanding marketing and conversion rate optimization in addition to web design.

What do you look for in a web design company?

The web design company you choose must be able to interpret your company’s mission and identity and turn it into an appealing website that connects with potential customers. They must help you reach your target audience and meet your business goals. A web design agency should have on staff both talented web designers, with fresh ideas and extensive technical and creative skills, and a marketing team that knows how to drive traffic to your site, encourage visitor engagement, and convert visitors into customers. Web designers should be able to build in search optimization and integrate your site with a content management system and e-commerce tools. Look, too, for a website design company that understands responsive design and can optimize your website for mobile devices and desktop browsers. The right web design company understand current design and website trends, has experience building sites in a variety of industries (not just yours), and has an expansive portfolio of live websites. Finally, don’t simply hire the cheapest bidder — in web design, as in all things, you get what you pay for.

Teri H.

Verified review

I have been using Frank and Creative Experience for several years. I usually have 4-5 projects a year; from magazine covers, postcards, to newspaper ads that he does his "magic" and brings to life. He "knows" what I want, he is consistently fast, creative, and his graphic design and artistry are phenomenal! I have always been totally impressed with the final product!

James M.

I truly don't write to many reviews but after my experience I feel completely compelled to make a statement regarding my experience with Best Draft. I spoke with Choon as my very first contact for possible hire - I was very impressed but felt I needed to look around as he was the very first person to contact me from Thumbtack. After 3 weeks of research and additional interviews I went back to Choon as he seemed the most knowledgeable, caring and experienced option. His follow up was incredible. I'm so glad I chose him. Choon created a logo and business card design for a new business I've started. Its a new company and I'm concerned about my impression, making a statement and separating myself from the pack. I've never had a better experience with a Graphic Designer than with Choon. (and I've had many with numerous start-ups) His work is exceptional and is done with great care, creativity, experience and branding "smarts." If you want someone you can trust to get a high-quality, impressive product - I highly recommend him for ALL of your marketing. I will be using Choon for all my future marketing projects. The return on my investment was much more than I expected. Easy process - Amazing results!

Geo H.

I started a band and needed some really great high res photos to work with in photoshop. We needed a variety of settings and looks so that I could play around with ideas for print and online media. After speaking with a few different photographers we chose Hailley because I could tell she looked at the shoot from an artists perspective. From the moment we started shooting she gave really fantastic creative input which really drove the direction of the shots. We were able to bounce ideas off each other which really made the band come out of their shells and feel a part of that creative process. She also had no problem shooting around Santa Monica then heading to the beach for an impromptu shoot. After the day of shooting Hailley did some really great follow up by posting some of the low res images to dropbox so we could pick out some of our favorites. I'm a graphic designer myself so I gave her my picks of the high resolution images I wanted so that she could send them to me and I could manipulate them myself. A couple of weeks later she gave me a call to see how everything was going and to see if I needed any additional prints, photos, or enhancing done, which I REALLY appreciated. Overall she was everything we needed in a photographer: professional, creative, had great follow through AND she was ON TIME for everything, which in the artist world is key! ;)

Shannon A.

Cori painted/stained a beautiful design on the concrete patio inside our screened-in porch, which looks more amazing than we ever expected. Cori's work is professional, top-notch quality, and we could not be happier!

Chad F.

One of the best experiences I have had with a graphic designer. I've used FIVERR, ZILLIONDESIGNS, local designers, etc...& NONE delivered what I wanted, in the time that I wanted at the price that I wanted in the time that I wanted. Ahmed delivered on all 3 counts + his work was FAR superior. I would recommend him to ANY & EVERYBODY that values my opinion & taste. Cannot say enough good things about him. Professional, timely, affordable, kind, respectful, & talented. I'm a fan!!

Tim C.

Even though my office shares media buys with Coldwell Banker corporate, I wanted to ensure that our office and all of our individual realtors were able to capture all the inquires that came from the internet. First off, it was clear that we needed to redo our entire website and graphics and then figure out a way to get google to love us. This is where SEO Trust entered the picture and took over our entire online operation, including our social media campaigns and realtor videos. Dr. David had us agree to a lot of changes, but once we got back online with the new mediums from SEO Trust, our online traffic and even our foot traffic increased by well over 30%. If you're looking for real SEO changes, social media growth, and the production of some amazingly powerful videos, then you need Doc and his SEO Trust.

Yao O.

Major did a wonderful job on the project that i have hired him for. He was extremely easy to work with, understood my vision, does exactly what I have requested and delivered in a timely matter. I would highly recommend him to anybody who is looking for a logo, a website, and many other graphic design work related services. He is truly great at what he does! Thank you. Regards, Yao

Adam K.

I have had the pleasure of working with Bernadette Marciniak over a number of years in a number of capacities. Ms. Marciniak is a total professional who meets her deadlines and hits her deliverables. Bernadette is a skilled photo-journalist, a talented graphic designer, a passionate artist, a compassionate contrarian who is both intellectual and highly visual. One of the most beautiful human beings I have ever known-her art is an extension of her inner greatness. Adam Kluger President, Adam Kluger Public Relations 7 East 86th Street, 17th Floor New York, NY 10028 BlackBerry: 917.655.1450 Office: 1.888.304.AKPR (2577) www.adamklugerpr.com Find us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter

Vanessa F.

She is awesome!!!!!! Talk about good karma for me! She was the first one who reached out to me and it was love at first site. Actually I just had this strange feeling in my gut that said she was going to help me. We hit it off right away. She is extremely reliable and very creative. She works hard and gets the job done on time. She is always available when I need her and she has been so patient with me and my employees through thick and thin times. I appreciate her so very much and I would highly recommend reaching out to this gem of human being if you are seriously interested in some kick ass graphic design work! :) If you need more answers -- feel free to reach out to me directly to verify everything I said is true. Thanks Jordis! You are a life saver !

Sarahi C.

From the get-go, the Starke Marketing team was straightforward, professional and efficient! They're also very creative and have amazing web and graphic design skills! I'm feeling very motivated and excited for this partnership and I highly recommend them.

Stephanie B.

Bernie is wonderful to work with. She takes the time to understand your style and the aesthetic you are going for. She is very prompt and professional, and her pricing is reasonable as well. I would definitely recommend her for graphic design. I love my business cards!

Terrence T.

I loved the professionalism, timeliness, and work quality of his work. He really made it creative and just did spectacular work! I would refer him to everyone that is looking for any type of graphic design!!

Kathleen A.

Great design isn’t created in a bubble. Stacy opened herself up for an amazing dialogue for what my vision was for, not only my logo but for what I wanted to envision spatially in my yoga studio. No matter how experienced or talented a designer is (and let me tell you she is), collaboration is necessary. Don't get me wrong she does not need to be micromanaged, on the contrary she is a go-getter. She was a joy to work with. The result was an absolute fantastic one of a kind eye-popping logo. And her designing assistance in my yoga studio created a wonderful Feng Shui for all that entered. People would say "Wow, what a wonderful peaceful feeling I get when I'm here, I love your studio. As a big bonus...some of the techniques I learned from working with Stacy designing my Yoga Studio filtered in my organization and designing of my home. So now I have a more peaceful home I refer to as my Zen Den. Thanks to Stacy I live a more abundant, tranquil life. - Kathleen Ames YogaUtopia

Natalie G.

Carlos understood exactly what I wanted and edited my photo very well. He said it would take three hours, and three hours later I had my picture. His work is very detailed and impressive.

Mark A.

Zelda has done both graphic design and web developement/design for us on some entertainment media projects. She is one of those rare artists who not only brings personality and quality aesthetics to her work, but is also highly technically proficient. And what makes her really stand out even further is that with both of those qualities often you have a challenging personality, but she is a pleasure to work with. My only hesitation about writing this is that people will hire her and when I have more work for her she won't be available.

Sameer A.

I am a small business owner and modernTECH and their impressive services have been a fundamental attribute to the success of my company. Their solutions to my issues are just outright phenomenal and their sense of business operations are eveident throughout all of their work. They’ve helped my business grow significantly and I’ve reached out to them for every project I’ve needed assistance with, from logo and graphic design, exterior window signs, website design, and even the creation of a mobile app. I don’t know what I’d do without them and I will definitely continue to utilize them as my business continues to grow. I would WITHOUT A DOUBT recommend modernTECH to ANYONE in need of any assistance.

Jemil D.

I've used Antonio for his photography, videography, and graphic design services on multiple occasions. He has done photo shoots and fitness videos for my personal training business and of my daughter when she turned 1 month old. He has the ability to not only capture great angles but also edits the pictures and videos in a way where they look creative and artistic but don't look overly filtered. They still look natural. Many photographers are not able to do that. Most recently I had him design some business cards for me and we didn't even have to make very many tweeks to it. His first draft was just that good! I've gotten nothing but complements on them. Communicating with him was also very easy, there's nothing worse than trying to describe to a graphic designer "can you make this bigger/ smaller?" or "can you move this over there?" only to have them not listen or it takes them days to get back to you. I never have that problem with him. At his prices you get the most bang for your buck, and i haven't seen anyone at his price point that does his quality of work. I've never had any reason to use anyone else!

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