Someone once told us, “Web designers are like lawyers; they’re a dime a dozen.” A double burn, but they were right! But not all web designers are created equal. Anyone can claim to be a web designer or digital marketing expert, but the real test lies in their results, process, and skill.
In this article, we’ll break down what it really means to be a professional web designer, and what you should expect when working with a top-tier design team.
UI & UX: The Foundations of a Website
A good web designer must have the fundamentals down:
- UI (User Interface): These are the visual, static elements of your website. That includes the homepage sections, navigation bar, header, footer, color schemes, typography, and overall layout. A clean, well-organized interface helps users understand where to go and what to do next.
- UX (User Experience): This focuses on how users interact with the site. It includes scrolling behaviors, hover effects, transitions, animations, and user flows. When done right, UX design feels seamless.
UI and UX form your cohesive digital story. And in Columbus, where competition is fierce across industries, professional web design must bring equal parts look and feel to the table.
Web Design Isn’t Just About Looks, It’s Also a Set of Mindsets
While UI/UX is important, great web designers must also do the following:
1. They Always Start with Strategy and Planning
Before the first pixel is placed, great web design begins with strategy. What are the goals of the website? Who is the audience? What actions do you want users to take? They should be asking you these.
A solid strategy helps structure your site’s navigation, determine page hierarchy, and ensure that every element has a purpose. Good web design should follow a “crawl, walk, run” approach, allowing web designs to start small, iterate quickly, and scale effectively.
2. They Design with Performance in Mind
Website speed is non-negotiable. Designers must understand how to optimize files by choosing the right formats (such as WebP for images) and compressing them effectively. Oversized files slow down your site, hurting both user experience and your SEO.
Performance can make or break conversions and leave customers with a bad impression. Remember, SEO is critical to modern websites and is a game of inches. Any advantage that you can have over competitors ranks you higher on SERPs than they do.
3. They Don’t Forget About Accessibility
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is reshaping how websites are built, and good web design must embrace these changes. Accessible design not only supports legal compliance but also improves UX for everyone. Google even considers accessibility as an essential website metric through its PageSpeed reports.
As such, good web designers must know how to use contrast ratios, alt text, and ARIA labels to maximize a website’s effectiveness.
4. They are Team Players
Brilliant web designers don’t work in a vacuum. They must collaborate with:
- Web developers for backend functionality.
- SEO specialists to ensure on-page optimization.
- Content creators to craft engaging copy.
- Project managers to stay on budget and schedule.
- Account managers to manage client expectations.
Whether you’re working with an agency in Columbus, Ohio, or an in-house team, a designer’s ability to communicate and coordinate across departments is key to launching a successful site.
Great Web Designers Must Know Every Part of a Website
Today’s top designers must be fluent in both creative and technical aspects of a website. Quiz them on the following:
- Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, Webflow, Framer, or Shopify.
- Page speed optimization tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
- SEO best practices for metadata, image alt tags, and structured content.
- CRM integration for lead capture and user data management.
- Google Analytics & Tag Manager for user behavior tracking.
- Libraries and frameworks such as Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS.
- HTML and CSS proficiency for layout control and custom styling.
Businesses should expect modern solutions powered by the most relevant web technologies. If they don’t know them, it’s time to move on.
Web Design Is an Ongoing Process
The biggest web design myth is that it’s a one-time thing. That’s because:
- User behavior evolves.
- Design trends change.
- Technology improves.
- Your business goals shift.
A site that performed well two years ago is likely outdated or underperforming today. That’s why web design must stay relevant, continuously testing new ideas and implementing what’s proven in real-time.
If your Columbus-based business wants to stay competitive, regular web design audits and updates are common sense investments.
Final Thoughts: Go with a Quality Web Designer
Your website is your digital storefront. It’s often the first impression customers have of your brand. And in today’s online-first world, that impression window is a mere second. With the right skills, mindset, knowledge, and approach, a great web designer can help you stand out and have a serious edge over your competitors/
Ready to launch your website or revamp an existing one? Connect with us today to get started on your free quote!
