The web design consultant profession is gaining popularity every day. Hundreds and thousands of companies turn to website consultants to create or improve their products.

Let’s figure out if your company and your product need a web design consultant, what are the main advantages of website consulting, how to hire a consultant and other things.

Problems with your website? Is this a web design problem?

You decided to create a web product for yourself or your company but know absolutely nothing about website design? You noticed that your web product doesn’t work well but don’t know how to fix it?

You realized that conversions had dropped recently? A lot of problems faced by web product owners are related to web design.

Let’s find out the root causes of poor web design:

• Using an excessive amount of text. Today, users of web products scan text rather than read it.
• Lack of visual hierarchy. All the most essential things on the page should be noticeable. Similar elements should be grouped or united by one style.
• Using colors that are too bright. There are products for which appearance is not essential. Some products/services should have a simple and discreet design.
• Lack of focus point. It can be a picture or graphic, a headline or a sentence, or any other text that grabs users’ attention and makes them stay.
• Lack of balance. A balanced design helps create hierarchy and prioritization.
• Poor typography. How well you choose your fonts can have a significant impact on the appeal of your project. If the fonts do not fit together, it can distract the viewer from the content and the main idea of ​​the design.
• Improper use of space. Depending on the design project, you may have a different amount of space at your disposal. The challenge is to create an attractive, balanced design in a limited size.
• Poor image quality.
• It is crucial to understand which image formats are best for digital designs.
• Poor navigation.
• The presence of pages where the user cannot go back or go to another page.
• Poorly thought out users’ flows.
• A large presence of elements that distract users from the main activities.

There may be even more such reasons. We have named only the main and frequently encountered ones.

All of these things affect the design, making it unattractive and poor. In turn, poor design affects conversion rates, usability, traffic levels, etc. For your product design to be at the right level, you need to check more than 80 design matters. 

Web development consulting is one of the most famous services that can help you with all these issues. Let’s take a closer look at who a web design consultant is and what his/her responsibilities are.

Who is a web design consultant and what does this person do?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job growth rate for website development consultants is expected to be 13% from 2021 to 2028.

Web design consultant is a person who consults with clients to figure out the scope of projects, learn about their needs, apply SEO methods to enhance website traffic and manage websites. 

A web design consultant can help you make the right choice in favor of one design or the other, point out mistakes in an existing design, suggest methods for correcting these mistakes, etc.

Many companies hire a web consultant to train designers in an existing team, share experiences and ideas.

A company can hire website development consultants or they can work as personal website consultants. They can also work for web development consulting firms.

The main requirements for website development consultants:

• Technology knowledge. When it comes to creating a website, there are a lot of technical challenges to overcome.
• Advanced technical knowledge. That will help to distinguish between the different solutions that can be used on the site.
• Tech stack knowledge. The web consultant should be guided where which programming language is used.
• SEO knowledge. That will help in ensuring good site rankings in search engines.
• Graphic skills. That will help in creating an attractive website design. 

Do you really need a web design consultant? Let’s check

Are you wondering if your project needs a web design consultant? Let’s figure it out together. Sometimes companies need to hire a team of designers and developers.

I have a startup or small business, how can a web design consultant help me?

For startups and small businesses it is essential to involve a web design consultant during product creation.

Your product must completely please users. So the product creation process must be well-structured, transparent, and free of unnecessary steps. At all stages of future product development, a web design consultant will be an invaluable resource.

Small companies and startups can engage a personal website consultant to train their employees. Designers at small firms, particularly startups, are often inexperienced.

Therefore a web design consultant may advise on enhancing their expertise, such as what literature to read, what methodologies and tools to employ, etc.

Also, startups lack a core business and need to pay great attention to user experience. In this case, a web design consultant is an irreplaceable link in the chain.

I have a middle project, how can a web design consultant help me?

Medium-sized enterprises frequently seek out web development consulting firms. In most cases, the work of web design consultants assists in increasing user engagement and improving onboarding.

Furthermore, hiring a web consultant will provide you with an objective perspective on your project, allowing you to avoid tunnel vision. Also, web consultants can help midsize businesses to increase conversions, improve usability and the level of user-friendliness of their site.

I am a market leader, how can a web design consultant help me?

Large corporations are in desperate need of new experts now more than ever. Clients of significant corporations want the product they use to be of the highest quality and satisfy all of their requirements.

In this case, a web design consultant is quite beneficial. Web consultants do user research to discover potential issues and opportunities for you to exploit.

They may also be able to assist you in developing a user experience plan for your product’s research, development and testing. The web design consultant may also assist you in putting this strategy into action by advising you on best practices.

Working with a web design consultant has the primary benefit of providing a fresh view of your project. In large businesses, teams are generally highly experienced and skilled, but you constantly need a new perspective. That is something that website development consultants can help you with. 

Thanks to website consulting services, market leaders can increase user and customer loyalty as well as brand awareness. The consultants will also suggest what you can use in your design to stand out and be the best.   

Top 5 Places where you can Hire a Web Design Consultant [+ Short Guide]

We have already discussed who a web design consultant is, how it can be helpful for you and your company, etc. It’s time to find out how to hire such a specialist. We have prepared a small guide that will help you quickly find the expert you need.

In general, you have two hiring options to choose from:

• Use the freelance platforms available. 
• Contact web design agencies.  

Hiring a freelance web design consultant has a significant advantage – it is the cheapest option of the two, at least initially. However, remember that there are risks of hiring a freelancer as well.

First of all, a qualified freelance consultant can do a pretty good job, but chances are he/she is also working in multiple positions at the same time.

Therefore, if you have a strictly limited project timeline and limited resources, it is better to contact the agency. Plus, you won’t always have access to freelancers. They may have emergencies or sudden vacations.

There are top 5 places we recommend to use for web design consultant hiring:

• Linkedin. A powerful social network where you can find experienced freelancers or reliable web design agencies.
• Clutch. A great place for finding an agency. You will have a chance to compare different options, prices, reviews, etc. 
• Upwork. A huge work marketplace where you can communicate with different experts and choose the most suitable one. 
• Google search. Just type the job title and go. Everything is simple here.
• DesignRush. Here you can find the best agency for your project based on cost, category, expertise and case studies.   

For your web design consultant hiring process to be successful follow the next 5 steps. 

Describe the problem, goals and budget

For the process of consulting website design to be successful, you must first decide on the problem you want to solve. That can be improving an existing product, creating a new one and any other problems associated with your project.

Then be clear about your goal. If you do not understand what result you want to get in the end, the web design consultant will definitely not be able to benefit your company.

And, of course, decide on a budget. The prices of web design consultants depend on the country in which they are located, the level of their knowledge, experience, etc. We will consider this topic in detail below.

List your requirements

Draw up requirements for a web design consultant based on your goals, concerns and budget. To receive excellent design consulting services, you need to find a person who can fully fulfill your requirements. Describe what’s most important in your project. Try not to miss anything and be clear.

Start web design consultant hiring process

When you formulate all the things we have discussed above, you can start the searching process. We have already described the places where you can find a web consultant.

To choose an agency that provides excellent consulting website design processes, you need to take this issue seriously. We recommend making a list of 10-15 agencies. It is important to note that the search process must be systematic and proactive. Send requests to those you like.

Feel free to send a lot of requests. The more requests you send, the more likely you are to find the best one.

Analyze the answers

After receiving answers from web design consultants, analyze them. Compare each consultant by price, level of knowledge and skills, experience, terms of work, etc. Spending time on this now will save it for you in the future. You will be able to save not only time but also money.

Think about KPI

For your cooperation with the web design consultant to be successful in the future, think about a system using which you will evaluate the consultant’s work. Control is always crucial, especially when developing a product from scratch.

Tips in communication with web design consultant

Let us now look at how to build a strong working relationship with a web developer consultant and get the most out of them for you, your team and your company.

Create a healthy balance between your company and web design consultant

Consultants, unlike freelancers, contractors or permanent employees, demand a different management approach. It’s critical to strike the right balance: web consultants must be guided correctly, but if you try to exercise too much control, you risk hurting your relationship with them and lowering their productivity.

Make the web design consultant role clear

Ensure that everyone involved in the project or task, including consultants, knows why they were hired. Give them copies of the company’s goal and vision statements and other key documents so they can get a better sense of the overall picture.

They must also be aware of any underlying issues that are not openly expressed. Could their initiative be harmed by office politics, for example? And who are the most critical stakeholders to be aware of?

Give web design consultant a feedback

Like the rest of your team, the web consultant wants feedback on performance so he/she can see what he/she is doing well and where he/she can improve.

Establish a course of action 

Website consultants require measurable goals, so work with them to develop SMART goals. These not only help you understand what you’re looking for, but they also allow you to track their growth and performance.

How to save your money working with a web design consultant?

To save money when getting website consulting services, try to work with a consultant systematically. Organize regular meetings and workshops to keep everyone in the loop. Track whether something has changed after involving the consultant in the work on the project or not.

What robs you the most are reckless actions and the inability to look one step ahead. If you follow all the recommendations we wrote above, you will already do a lot to save.

In general, you can save money only if you compare the price with the benefits that web design consultants provide for your company.

How to protect yourself from working with a bad web design consultant?

Nobody is safe from a bad personal website consultant. If we are talking about hiring a web development consultant-freelancer, then the first thing that can be said about the quality of his/her professional’s work is the rating. Each freelance platform has a rating and feedback from previous customers.

And if we are talking about an agency, then an important indicator can serve as reviews on the site and on social networks, but also the company’s portfolio. It is the portfolio that will give you comprehensive information about the agency’s experience.

So, to sum up you should pay attention to such things:

• Testimonials from former clients. 
• Time worked in this area. 
• Portfolio and cases. 
• Known clients with whom freelancers or agencies worked.

How to check the web design consultant quality?

To check how high-quality design consulting services will be, check the business consultant website. Study it from A to Z. Evaluate the work that was done earlier. Check out Clutch and Linkedin for reviews. Beware of website consultants who have no reviews.

That can mean the consultants have no experience or they removed the reviews because they were bad. Also, analyze the results of past works and ask former clients and employers about the work of a web design consultant.

What should you wait for from a web design consultant?

It is not enough to expect a professional web design consultant to know programming languages or to have outstanding graphic talents.

This role necessitates a diverse set of skills that helps bring the client’s and users’ needs together.

Let’s have a look at the most critical considerations for every web design consultant:

• Recommendations. A qualified and experienced web design consultant should give high-quality recommendations on product updates or product creation from scratch.
• Coaching. A web consultant should be a great mentor. A person should have all the skills of communication and cooperation with team members.
• Experience sharing. Experienced website development consultants have completed many projects during their work and they have a lot to share. The web consultant can share knowledge, skills, ideas, views, etc.
• Training. The web design consultant should train the team and steer it in the right direction. A consultant can advise what materials to study or what software is best to use.
• Research. A skilled person who provides website consulting services can conduct detailed research and develop a strategy for your product based on it.
• Audit. A web design consultant should provide a detailed audit to identify possible problems in your product and find a solution to solve them.
• Road map. A good consultant should provide a clear plan for the working processes and implementation of the project.
• Help with hiring. Consultants very often help find specialists who will be a good fit for your company and project.

Key factors of successful cooperation with a web design consultant

Based on our many years of experience, we perfectly understand which is a good and reliable web business consulting and how it can help the project.

We give objective advice

Owners are too involved in their projects, sometimes to their own detriment. The web design consultant can give frank advice, which is simply necessary for your site.

We look at the broad picture (from the point of user experience view)

It’s easy to lose sight of the UX of your entire website if you focus on details that may not matter much. And sometimes such details cause performance problems. Our consultant will help you sort this data and prioritize it.

We point out errors and prioritize them

Is it more important to fix a misspelling than a broken link? It all depends on the specific case. And our web consultant will have an answer.

We will help you understand the audience of your website

And the first thought that should be conveyed is that your site is not for you. Most companies don’t take the time to understand this approach and therefore build a website that they love. For this, a professional is needed who will indicate the correct vector of development.

Planning the structure of your website

Sending a person to the correct page on a website is a prerequisite for something to be done. A consultant can help you design the structure of your website using a sitemap, whether you are rebuilding or starting from scratch.

That is just a small part of what RewiSoft has to offer you.

How much does web design consultant cost in 2024?

As in any other market, there is competition in the field of web consulting and prices vary from region to region.

Of course, pricing is due not only to the above reasons but also to the level of professionalism of the performer, volumes and terms, and even socio-cultural factors. However, it should also be understood that each region has its diversification of website consultants in terms of prices.

Average prices by country

In this regard, we get the following situation on the international market:

• North American website consultants are at the top of the market with the highest prices, and this is directly related to the standard of living and paying capacity of American customers.
• Western European specialists are slightly inferior to their American counterparts but still expensive. This is influenced by the level of training and salary expectations of specialists.
• The Eastern European market, unlike the two previous ones, is saturated with both freelancers and agencies. This created favorable competition, which formed the ideal ratio of price to quality of consultants’ services.
• The Asian market is mainly represented by specialists from India and neighboring countries, which cannot be distinguished by such high indicators. Except for one thing – mass character. And this massiveness had a very negative impact on the quality of the services provided.

In the table below, we give you the average web development consulting cost for 4 regions:

                                 Freelance web consultant                   Web consulting agency

North America.                                 $70-150/h                                         $90-160/h

Western  Europe                              $60-120/h                                         $75-140/h

Eastern Europe                               $35-80/h                                         $45-90/h

Asia                                                        >40/h                                                  >50/h

Average prices based on seniority

Everything is really straightforward here. The higher the typical price, the longer the website consultants have been in the sector. Consultants’ experience is also affected by their education. Junior teams often charge around $20 per hour, but the job will not be of the most outstanding quality, as you might expect.

Middle-level teams charge $25, while seniors charge around $40. In this case, you will receive excellent website consulting services as well as work of appropriate quality.

Fixed VS Hourly Rates

Fixed-price contracts are appropriate for projects with a well defined scope and a consistent set of requirements. Fixed-price contracts shift the risk of project failure on the outsourcing web design consultants by deferring payment until the job is finished while also protecting your budget.

The fixed-price model is ideal for long-term projects with a high value to the outsourcing partner since it encourages them to accomplish tasks more efficiently and obtain more value from the contract.

The hourly rate for website consulting is perhaps the most prevalent price strategy. The most typical pricing approach is paying per hour for the tactical hours spent on completing your task.

According to this model, customers carry greater responsibility because they provide the project’s requirements and make modifications. They can change their minds while putting their plan into action.

Wrapping up

Now the creation and design of a website is an essential tool in running any business. If you plan to make even a small part of your business digital, you will need high-quality web consulting services to stay competitive.

The RewiSoft team has years of experience in web design consulting and is ready to provide it for any of your projects.

Insofar as only a good web design consultant will pave the way for digital success and secure a growing audience in your niche, that’s why it’s so important to do it right the first time.