How To Hire A Creative Freelance Web Designer

Looking for a creative web designer to collaborate with, build your site and propel it to the next level?

Hiring a web designer takes some careful thought. After all, your website is your baby and is integral to your business. Whether it’s your central website or a new web project, it can take time to find the right kind of creative web designer to put it together for you.

There’s more to it than simply working with someone who has the right skills or qualifications. It’s important to work with a creative web designer with similar values to you. What's more, find someone who:

•  Is interested in your brand and your cause. 

• You have a connection and can get on with

• Provides great customer service both to you and your team

If it's your first project, you might be wondering how the whole process of finding a creative web designer works. If you've worked with freelancers before, you may be interested in seeing what you could do differently this time.

Where can I find a quality creative web designer?

As web design is such an intricate and in-depth project, working with the right person can get your website off to the flying start it needs.

Freelancer membership platforms can be a great way to get started with getting an idea of different people's skill sets and experience.

Freelancers will have had their profile and background checked first before approval to ensure there is a range of high-quality candidates for businesses to consider.

Online searches and social media platforms can also be great ways of finding freelancers, too.

Does the idea of finding a freelancer seem overwhelming? You can save time here.

Services such as The Freelancer Club's matching algorithm will carefully shortlist candidates based on your criteria. And the  Concierge Service means you'll be connected with highly recommended and creative web designers experienced specifically in the areas you need.

You can advertise your role on the jobs board and let the applications come rolling in. Provide as much information as possible so that freelancers can tailor their application to what you need.

What information do I provide in a job ad?

When it comes to writing your job vacancy, essentials information includes:

• What needs to be done

• The coding languages the web designer must know (if you know them)

• Length of project

• The niche or industry you specialise in

• Whether the role is remote or partly office-based

• Deadlines and time frame

• Rate of pay

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What do I need to find out from a freelance web designer?

Of course, having the skills in web design, coding, JavaScript and all the other lovely tech skills available, is a given.

It's also crucial that you work with a freelancer you can get along with. 

Can you imagine working with someone you don't gel with? It could make for a very teeth-grinding project that you dread working on, which is what you don't want.

It’s about having a freelancer professional who listens to what you need and takes the time to follow up with regular communication. To say the least.

Aside from asking about their skills, aim to ask a web designer these questions:

• What's their experience, specifically, in your business niche?

• What’s their availability like?

• How do they communicate with their clients?

• How often do they communicate?

• Why do they choose freelancing as a career?

• What do they do outside of freelancing?

All of these can give you an idea of how someone works and also a little insight into how they are as a person.

Equally, it’s important to consider these aspects of yourself, too:

• How you communicate with your team

• How often you communicate

• How you address areas of misunderstanding

• How flexible are you?

You'll probably want to start with a phone call with your shortlisted freelancers. Afterwards, a face-to-face meeting or a video call can help you see how they are in person.

How much to budget?

You're willing to pay good rates, but you still want an affordable web designer within budget, right?

Meet somewhere in the middle.

If you want a high quality, creative web designer with the insight, experience and understanding to deliver great results, you may need to start thinking a little higher in terms of rates. Set a bit more aside for the project. 

A junior web designer will have a rate of around £15-£20 per hour. A more experienced web designer will have a starting rate of around £30-£40 an hour. 

What's more, some web designers may charge a project fee, rather than per hour worked, so bear this in mind. 

To help with sourcing a reasonable rate and an affordable web designer, there are ways to help with this.

There are things you can do that means your web designer will spend less time on certain aspects of the project. 

You can help cut down on your web designer’s time and costs by:

• Having ready-made content for uploading

• Providing visuals

• Having a detailed brief that's clear in terms of expectations and end goals

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By having these elements ready to go,  you can save your web designer time and, in the end, save you money.

Do freelance web designer rates sound like more than you expected? 

As a freelancer, they have to account for paying their own tax and National Insurance, as well as any expenses from the project. Consider this when looking at rates to help you decide. And remember, the lowest price rarely results in the best work!

What's in your brief?

The brief you provide is one of the single most important parts of your web project. 

Have a clear outline of the project's goals and scope.

Aside from end deadlines, include milestones when you expect each part of the project to be completed by.

Include a contract, agreeing aspects such as what will be provided and who will retain ownership of the finished work.

How many edits will be included and how much will you need?

With a detailed project outline, it should leave few questions about what's needed and it will help to keep the editing down.

Check how many edits the freelancer is willing to include as part of the project rate. 

When it comes to doing editing, it can vary in terms of the time it takes and the work involved. While some edits can be done quickly, there may be some other changes that can take longer. 

Check which edits are included, or those which will take longer and may mean you could be charged extra for.

Expect to pay a deposit, which could be anything between 20-50% of the project fee. Either this or certain amounts of the project rate will be paid at each stage of completion.

Best way to talk

Communicating throughout the project and establishing an agreed system is essential.

Do you use an online messenger or project management system? Or is it good old-fashioned telephone conversations? You could add your web designer into your team's account if there's an online tool you use.

Do you want your web designer to send you a weekly update, or quick notes every day?

Start rolling by setting up a call or two to share screens and show how your systems work. You can also provide some examples of the type of website design and layout you're looking for, as well as looking at competitor sites. Communicate your business brand and values so that your web designer can get a clear idea of you.

There are bound to be other questions that come up, so make it easy for your freelancer to ask quick questions. Be flexible and provide clear answers that will help them get on with their job. Going out of the country? Let your freelancer know and who they contact if they have a burning issue that can't wait for your return.

How should your web designer share files and folders with you? If there's a cloud or sharing tool, such as Google Drive, agree with your freelancer which you'll both use. Opt for a creative web designer that understands your brand and goes out of their way to deliver on time and to a high standard.

An affordable web designer can mean different things depending on your budget and what you need, so consider these aspects when looking at options. Affordable doesn't have to mean the cheapest, either!

Finding the right creative web designer

To find a variety of skilled and creative web designers, The Freelancer Club has a variety of creative web designers with a variety of backgrounds, working with various clients across industries and bringing different skills to the table.

It's easy to scroll through them all. Short on time? The team is offering free credits to tailor your requirements to match you with three affordable web designers for you to go ahead and interview. It’s simple to sign up for this here.

There is plenty to consider when seeking a creative web designer for your next project. These will all help you find the right web designer, form a great relationship and get the best great outcome for your project.