The site is built on the wordpress platform and will showcase much of their repairs case studies and success stories.

On the search engine optimisation front we have managed to have the site listed on page one of Google and the client has already reported new business through the website.

The web design industry in Scotland is still relatively new and there are new companies emerging all the time. There are website design companies and freelance web designers across the country competing for your business, but how do you sort the wheat from the chaff and select the best company for you? Hopefully, these tips below should help you make your decision a little easier.

Where did you find them?

If you found them on the search engines then this is a very good start indeed. This means that they have invested some time in promoting* themselves and if they can promote themsleves in a competitive market then they can do this for your company too.  Indeed you probably found us by Googling something like “web designer scotland” or “web design Scotland”.

*An integral part of website design is making pages search engine friendly and any web design company worth their salt will get you found on search engines.

How good is their portfolio?

The best web design companies in Scotland can be measured by the quality and quantity of their portfolio. Ask yourself….do they have a broad portfolio or do the specialise in one** industry sector? If they have a broad portfolio across many industries then this is good. It demonstrates that they can create websites and apply their skills to any industry.

** Web designers who specialise in one industry (e.g. Dentists, Vets, Hotels) claim to be specialists and provide the best websites for that particular industry. This is pure gimmickry and an excuse to charge premiums.  Any reputable web design company can create a websites – no matter the industry.

Do all their web designs look the same or follow the same format?

Look carefully at the portfolio of the web design company before you do anything. If all their websites look very similar or use the same layout, fonts  etc., then it is highly likely that they are using a template. This demonstrates a lack of skill and is at best a cheap and easy way for the web designer to make money for the least effort. However, the use of templates is perfectly acceptable providing the same template is not used for every website created. Indeed, we use (and create) templates at the request of the client but in most cases alter and enhance these considerably from the original. 

Do their websites load fast and are they easy to navigate?

If they take ages to load then chances are they are not optimised and contain bloated code. A good web designer will optimise every image, keep the code clean and make everything pleasing and intutitive. Remember, a website is meant to help the customer or the visitor – it is not a showcase for the designer to add every kind of splash page, animation or jazzy graphic in their toolbox. If their portfolio websites do the job efficiently and speedily with the minimum of clicks then you can be sure that your website will be successful.

How long have they been trading?

There is a degree of flexibility when looking for a web designer in Scotland. There are a number of excellent companies with many years experience providing high quality websites. Equally there are new emerging companies providing high quality work – many of whom have served their time in more established agencies. Use your own judgement.

Breeze Media are a web design company based in Scotland who have been trading for 10 years. We have an extensive portfolio and a proven track record of creating successful websites for our client base.

For almost all web design projects, it is best to hire a professional. Even though it costs more, it is generally only a one-time cost. A website is typically only designed once with major revisions only done once every few years; you may make changes here or there in the short run, but a web site usually stays the same for up to a few years or more. So, you might as well go with the most talented yet reasonably priced designer you can find.

Also, it is very important to hire a designer who has a contract that you can sign that stipulates certain terms and conditions. You should be able to pay the designer a down payment of 25% – 50% of the total quoted price for the job, with the balance due upon completion. This is critically important, because it can be very frustrating to flush money down the toilet on a design you hate without any way to recoup any of your funds afterwards.

Also, the designer should be able to quickly produce some sample layouts after they have been assigned the job so that you can at least pick a particular design that you like the most, and then the designer can begin working on that design rather than using their artistic license to create a design from scratch.

Follow all of these recommendations and be careful when hiring a web designer. Always work with a professional if your project requires a certain level of expertise and skill, and make sure you request a portfolio containing samples of their work so you can see what they have already done.

When a company comes to us concerned that their website under achieves and fails to attract new customers then we almost always give the same answer - the website design  is too personal, too gimmicky and doesn’t cater for its customers. This is difficult for such companies to accept because they have become so emotionally attached to the web design that they are reluctant to accept change. 

Take a retail clothes shop for example. Imagine if you walked through the door and all you saw was information about the company or someone at every counter trying to tell you how great a company they are? Would you go any further and buy? Unlikely, and the chances are you would go to the next shop in the street. So why are so many websites built exactly like this? Too many companies believe that an all singing - all dancing website will attract customers and business will flow, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Successful website owners, just like successful retails shops realise that its the customer that buys and not the owner of the website or the shop.

Too many companies see their website design as something that “they” like rather than what their customers want. Companies need to detach themselves from such personal preferences and focus on their customers needs, otherwise the website will fail.

Useful tips to focus your website’s design on your customers…

1. Dont use Flash Intros! These are merely obstacles to prevent visitors getting to your products. Would you walk through the door of a shop that insisted you watch a 5 minute presentation?

2. Don’t use frustrating long winded boastful copy! If your website reads like “Welcome to blah blah blah” and follows with five pages of your history, about us, employees and been online since 1996″ then your visitors are likely to click on to the next website. You may think your company is the best in the world but if you walked into a retail shop would you expect to read the same blurb before you bought something?

Focus on your visitors first and foremost! On the first page, define their needs, solve their problems and give them solutions to their problems.

3. Use clear navigation! Your website should allow your visitors to get to the pages or product they want within no more than 2 clicks. If it takes more than 2 clicks then you’re website is failing to meet your customers needs. This only serves to frustrate them and in many cases they will go elsewhere. (Imagine if you walked into a shop and the store guide instructed you to go to department a via dept d via dept c etc! You’d soon be very frustrated).

One of the best ways to achieve good navigation into the design structure of your website is to ask friends and colleagues to navigate and give you feedback – the more people the better. Take any criticism as constructive and apply what you learn.

Remember – your website is a virtual mirror of your company. Design your website to be as customer friendly as your physical presence and it will pay dividends.