Investing some time and effort in hiring the right partner will pay off. Here are four helpful tips:

Looks aren’t everything, and search engines are blind to untagged images.

Fancy images may look nice but will do nothing for you unless properly tagged so search engines can “see” them as well as your customers and prospects will. The code behind the looks matter, too. Some of what search engines look to read is visible on your site. Some of it is in the site’s code, and some designers are better at creating and incorporating meaningful code than others. Some designers are more educated about function and search engine optimization best practices than others. Don’t be swayed by gorgeous graphics if they’re not backed up by proper tagging and supported by optimized content. Choosing wisely upfront can save headaches later.

Not only do people still read, but so do search engines.

To see your beautiful design, your site must first be visited. This is dependent on search engine placement, which is highly dependent on content.  So professional design is worthwhile only when paired with meaningful content. That is what helps search engines to find your business, which will attract more prospects and customers. Relevant, interesting and engaging copy should be optimized for your keywords. Things like spelling, proper page titles, and keyword maximizing count a lot, and your designer should be able to explain why. Pairing these with great design will engage those checking out your site, helping to turn “shoppers” into customers.

Everyone loves being engaged.

Solid, long-lasting relationships are based on mutual interest, not just beauty. Relevant content and proper coding will get your site noticed. Interesting copy packed with great information your customers want to have will keep your business relationships engaging. Give visitors something to do on your site – take a survey, watch a video, click through to other interesting sites that complement your business. Teach them something about the products you want them to buy. Share timely news about your industry that might affect their decisions. Your visitors will notice if you talk to them, not at them – and not just about you.

Get a grip on the baby before pitching the bath water.

If you want a new look, make sure it won’t sacrifice what’s working for you. Don’t hire anyone who says to “start over” without asking them why. Be sure you understand what you have already that is worth keeping. Chances are your current site contains keywords and content that should be incorporated into a new design. And what about those inbound links? Make sure they track to the new site so you don’t lose hard-earned rankings. Taking for granted that a designer is doing these things, along with incorporating the latest best practices in organic search engine optimization, could be a costly mistake. So ask lots of the right questions.