A website consultant helps clients optimize their web presence and marketing strategies. The goal of a website consultant is to make a website that attracts clients, provides hassle-free interfaces, and draws traffic to the site. Different consultants may have different specializations, such as website design or search engine optimization, while others may provide full consulting services.
Web consultants may work for a web design company, or may be available as freelance professionals. Freelancers have the ability to choose their own clients and create their own design style, but those who work for a company may have an easier time finding clients at first. Working for a design company can also give a consultant the weight of the business's reputation, while freelancing consultants may have to build their reputation from the ground up.
When a website consultant takes on a project, the first step usually involves a careful analysis of the client's goals and his or her current web presence. If the client is starting a new business and does not have a website, the consultant may help design and build the site from scratch. If a website already exists, the consultant will prepare a review of the strong and weak points, and create a list of suggestions for improving the existing pages. In some cases, only minor adjustments may be necessary, while other websites may require a total overhaul to meet client expectations.
Website designers tend to focus on the look, style, and interface of the website. These designers may be skilled in graphic design, and may even come up with logos or images for their clients to use. The goal of a web designer is to create a finished website that is attractive and, more importantly, easy to use. Creating user-friendly interfaces that help navigate the website, make online purchases, and find client information is a major part of building a successful website. While a design-based website consultant can't guarantee that a business will succeed, he or she can at least ensure that any failure is not due to a poorly designed web page.
A search engine optimization (SEO) website consultant is tasked with increasing web presence. This may mean rewriting the text of a website to incorporate keywords and key phrases, which may cause the site to show up higher in search engine results. Since many Internet users only look at the first page of search engine results, placing high on the list can be critical to increasing site traffic. SEO experts must be able to strike a balance in their writing that allows them to optimize the website without making it appear to be spam.
