This article was contributed by Nivedita Harish.

Blog design is often tricky business. It can be challenging finding the right graphic designer to handle the design of your blog. After all, not everyone has the same exact taste. But, in the same token, you might be just too darn busy to handle the graphic design of your blog yourself. This is where it might make sense to hire a professional graphic designer to handle the job for you.

There is great responsibility in running a successful blog. Between figuring out the new DSLR you just got, creating content, or hiring professional services, or trying to figure out which plugin is making your blog crash, the job of the blogger becomes all too real.

Seriously, why waste your time and effort and something you are not the greatest at? If you are not any good at it, you risk losing potential readers and sponsors. Think hard about it and make that call. Below are some tips that will help you take the hassle out of hiring the right man or woman for the job.

Ask & Look Around

What blogs really catch your eye that you want to emulate? When you find one, see if there is any credit given to a web design firm or graphic designer. This is often found in the footer towards the bottom of the page or in the source code. You can always email the blog owner and ask them if you can’t find who the design worked. No doubt they will be happy to provide you with that information.

Check Out their Portfolio

It can be a very time-consuming task having to pick up the phone and call each designer or even sending them an email. The best way to find a graphic designer that specializes in exactly what you are looking for is by checking out their portfolio. A graphic designer’s portfolio is a strong example of the saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ Typically, you will see examples of their best work on their portfolio and be able to decide what their focus is and what they are good at simply by peaking at their portfolio.

Experience

Although this should be self-explanatory, it’s worth a mention here. You definitely want a graphic designer with experience. Just because a designer has experience with websites, doesn’t necessarily mean they would be good at blogs. Ask them about their experience in specific mediums, especially blog design.

“It’s not about how many years of experience you have. It’s about the quality of your years of experience.” – Jacob Cass

— Business Rockstars (@bizrockstars) January 21, 2015

 

Discuss Specifics

Once you have decided on a graphic designer, you want to make it very clear what you are looking for. Often, this type of work goes bad simply because the client wasn’t specific on their needs. You want to be specific about the graphics, colors, columns, sizes, etc. Be as straightforward and definable as possible so that you can rest easy knowing your graphic designer is on the same page as you.

Why Hire a Graphic Designer?

Consistent Branding

Your branding is a huge part of building a successful business. How easily can a customer pick out one of your advertisements only to see that you don’t even include your company name on it? To seriously create an impression, you will want to bring a professional graphic designer on board to do this hard work. They will ensure your logo; fonts, images and colors are consistent across every medium.

Make a Big Impression

If you are the only contractor in a town with a population of 3000 people, it is safe to say they know you. However, for businesses who operate both locally and online with thousands or more competitors, it’s going to take some effort to be recognized and make a big impression. Your graphic designer can help design your business blog, logo and even your social media channels and promotional materials. They will do so in a way that captures attention and generates action. Every advantage helps in such a competitive world.

So now what? You’re probably looking for a designer? There are plenty to choose from!

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This article was contributed by Nivedita Harish of www.domyessay.net.