Hire a Shopify expert or WooCommerce website designer UK.
When you want to digitise your business, the first thing to do is to set up a website. And for this there are several options: do it yourself or have one of the incredible professionals who are dedicated to it.
In general, many people opt for the latter, either due to lack of time or lack of knowledge.
When you start looking for a freelance web designer, you will realise that there are both big agencies and small freelance web designers.
Which one should I choose? Should I hire a person who works exclusively for me, or should I trust a recognised and well-established company? What are the differences between them?
To help you make the right decision, here I explain everything you need to know about web designers, agencies and the advantages of each one.
What is a Freelance Web Designer UK?
A freelance web designer is a self-employed professional who has decided to become an entrepreneur. This person will offer you their time, talent and knowledge to make your website look fabulous.
He/she works alone, although sometimes he/she can team up with other professionals to improve results, such as copywriters.
A freelance web designer has nothing to envy to one made by an agency, and he will put all his heart and brains to win you as a trustworthy client.
Hiring a freelance web designer has some advantages. Such as the speed of delivery of the task that you have hired, the proximity and personalisation of all communication when required and also usually have more assimilable rates for businesses that do not have too much to invest.
And what is a web design agency?
It is a web design company made up of several professionals, who have an organised working system and can handle many client requests at the same time.
A web design agency can deal with all the issues related to it, not only the design itself: content creation, logos, images, SEO and anything else your business needs. In other words, they can offer you a complete solution to your digital needs.
The web designers of an agency can work on different projects at the same time, so their results may take a little longer to show.
In addition to this, the rates they usually charge for their work are somewhat higher, but they will always show you professional results.
Both options are very good, depending on what you are looking for and how much you can afford to invest. The work of a freelance web designer has nothing to envy of an agency web designer, although there are some interesting differences to know.
How much does it cost to hire a website designer UK?
Dedication to your project
Freelance web designers, working alone, tend to focus more on one project at a time. This allows them to spend more time on it until it is finished.
Agencies, on the other hand, may work on several web designs at once, which can reduce the speed with which they can complete your order.
A freelancer only has two hands, two eyes and a single brain, enough to dedicate himself completely to one project before jumping to another. Without going crazy, of course. They may have a bit of a waiting list, but as soon as they start working on your website, they\’ll have it in no time.
Communication with the client
Building trust and a professional bond is important, and that is perfectly fulfilled with a freelance website designer.
The contact is direct and personalised, you will be able to explain everything you want on your website without intermediaries and he will be able to inform you of his progress, and his doubts and ask everything he needs to make your website perfect.
In agencies, there is usually a person in charge of communication with clients. It is still very good to get all the information and data needed to create the website, but some people may not like this distance from the professional working on their project. Proximity is a very valuable asset.
Fee for the work carried out
Financially, many freelance web designers tend to charge less for their work, although it all depends on their experience, expertise and reputation.
Choosing a higher or lower fee may not make much difference, so it is better to choose a professional for other features they can offer you.
Agencies tend to charge more, have a team of professionals behind them, and together they offer fast and well-delivered services. In addition, as they may have several additional services in addition to design, such as copywriting or SEO, it is usually interesting to combine them all when starting a project.
Designer\’s experience
The Shopify platform, like any other eCommerce platform, is quite simple to use. There are designers who use it better and worse, with small details that can make a difference in a design.
But it\’s not just about experience, as you can find very good novice designers.
Web design agencies assume that designers are experienced, as they are constantly working on projects of all kinds.
It is possible that if they appoint a designer from their staff, your work may not look as good as with a freelance designer whose experience you have been able to verify.
Hire an eCommerce website designer UK
As you have seen, both a web designer and a web design agency have their pros and cons. The dilemma lies in which professional to choose for your project to ensure the most satisfactory result, exceeding all your expectations.
Freelance web designers can comfortably handle small and medium-sized business websites, professional consulting services websites, personal blogs and much more.
They can also handle more ambitious projects, but it also means that it will take longer to get the website ready.
Agencies are more suited to working on large corporate websites that need to be up and running very quickly, putting all of their designers on the clock to finish as quickly as possible.
They can handle smaller projects, but you might miss a closer and more personalised contact with the person in charge of your website.
What do you prefer: freelance web designer or web design agency? Give me your opinion and tell me all about your experience with both professional services.