You
need to be sure the Web designer knows how to write code and prepare
graphics so that your site will be accessible to your target audience,
whether they use Microsoft, Netscape, or some other browser, and whether
they have an old version, or the current release.
There are only a few
colors that look the same across all of the browsers now in use. A
design that looks good in Netscape 4.0 might look horrible on Microsoft
Internet Explorer 5.0, and you have no way of knowing whether an
important client will view your site on a high-end PC or in a
motel/hotel room using a laptop or Web TV.
Finally, have them
show you how the site displays in all of the current browsers that are
available today: Microsoft Explorer versions 3, 4, and 5; Netscape
versions 2, 3, and 4; and Web TV, to name only a few. You will be
surprised to see how different the site looks in the different display
environments.
A
quality designer should have all the hardware and software required to
run these tests right, because if they don’t test repeatedly
throughout the web site design process, they risk wasting a lot of time
and money. A good Web Master will be pleased that you appreciate the
work that goes into a good design, and will be proud to demonstrate that
the site works well in all environments. If the Web Master can not run
these main tests, or doesn't want to, you need to look elsewhere.
To learn more about
the nitty-gritty of Web design, one of the best sources on the Web is www.lillersites.com.
More discussion of good and bad Web design, with horrible examples of
the bad, can be found at www.webpagesthatsuck.com.