EdmontonWebDesigner.com | Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Freelance Web Designers in Edmonton

Depending on the complexity of your website, a freelance designer may be all you need.

Website design is a hobby, and there are a lot of web designers in Edmonton who may not necessarily work for a "web design company", but can do a pretty darn good job. These designers are often referred to as "freelance web designers". Chances are, they've learned web design in high school, college, or via the many learning/training resources available online.

Depending on the complexity of your website, your preferences, timeline and budget, a freelance designer may be all you need.


How much does a website cost?

Consider the following scenarios:

1) You need a small, 5-page website
This should be a quick task for any website designer. However, if you chose a professional web design company for this project, you'll have to jump through some hoops such as contract-signing, meetings, brainstorming sessions, planning and other project management tasks. You'll find that for such a small project, you might be putting too much thought and time into it. And yes, you're paying the professionals a high fee for that time. Freelance designers can usually start a project same-day, and aren't as concerned about following a strict methodology. If this sounds like your cup of tea, a freelance designer would be a good choice. However, be warned not to start too quickly or too "off the cuff", as proper planning can save time/money in the long run.


2) Cost is a concern, and you don't want to spend much money
Freelance designers do not have the overhead that a professional web design firm has. Most work from home and their operational costs are low, therefore they can afford to charge lower fees for their services. When you work with a larger, professional web design firm, you're usually going to work with a "team" of graphic designers, web programmers, photographers and/or copywriters on a single project. These firms typically have many more clients than freelance designers, putting their time in higher demand. That, in addition to the overhead required to operate a bricks & mortar business, cause professional web design companies to charge much more for their services than a freelance web designer would.


3) You're note really concerned about having a "professionally built" website
Let's be honest, sometimes you don't really care how good your website looks, or who built it, you just need something - anything. If that's how you feel, a freelance designer would be the right choice for your project. Give your freelance designer some direction, then let them take the ball & run with it.