The mistake that many online entrepreneurs make is that they cut corners when it comes to their web design. Your website is the ?face of your company,? and you should not trust its presentation to just anyone. The next time someone says to you, ?My cousin did my website and he can do a good job for you,? just say, ?Thanks, but no thanks.? The teenage kid three doors down calls himself a webmaster. That doesn't mean you should trust him with your livelihood. You should treat your website design as if your business depends on it?because it does.

Before you take the first step toward hiring a web designer, you'll need to determine the goals you want your website to accomplish. Whether your business is totally online or this website is another channel to market your existing bricks and mortar storefront, the impression you give will have a direct impact on your bottom line.

The problem with hiring someone who knows someone is that you may not get an honest assessment of his work. Get a list of his past clients and contact them. Ask them about their experiences with this particular web designer. Look at their sites. Is the website consistent with their company's goals? Are their sites easy to navigate? Would you buy merchandise from this website?

The best way to find a good designer is to ask existing business owners to make recommendations based on their experiences. Get a list of possible candidates, but don't make your decision too quickly. Check out each web designer's personal site. Look for these essential details:

* Is the site visually appealing (colors, design, alignment, consistency)?

* Is the site easy to navigate?

* Do the pages load quickly?

* Is it easy to read?

* Is the contact information, privacy policy, terms of use, etc. clearly visible?

This is just the beginning. You'll want to work with a web designer that understands the goals of your site and how it complements your business. If you're building an e-commerce site, you must hire someone who has e-commerce experience.

What could happen if you decide to ?save some money? and hire that guy your cousin knows? I heard about one business that was more concerned with making their site look cool than making it easy to navigate. The result? They lost countless dollars in profits because their website visitors just didn't know what to do once they landed on the page.

Just today, I read about a website owner that hired a friend to build his site. The problem was that the friend registered the domain in his name, and the business owner had to threaten legal action to get the domain back.

Still want to hire that guy your cousin knows?

When it comes to website design, it's best to keep business matters separate from personal matters. Don't cut corners to save a buck. Outsource the work to a reputable web designer who will look out for you and your company. If you hire just anyone to build your site, the money you ?save? today will cost you a lot of business tomorrow.