3 Tips Before Hiring Someone To Build Your Website

You’ve decided to take the plunge and get a website. That’s awesome! BUT before you choose your designer, here’s 3 thing you get to know before-hand!

1. Do you have access to make changes?

Let’s say you' just brainstormed an amazing marketing campaign and want your site to follow the same path - but you’re locked out. This could have happened for multiple reasons, from the designer creating the site with pure code or that’s just not the company policy. Generally, it comes down to recurring payments.

I love recurring payments from clients because note only do I know what I get to do each week, it’s also great knowing how much money I’ll be making. What annoys the heck out of me though, is when clients have been forced into a recurring plan by the agency.

Example: Client wants to change up the banner on her website. I create banner and she asks me to log in and add it. I do but realize her portal is limited to what she can do. She asks her old designer for access. He denies it and asks her to update her site to a new platform where she’ll now have access.

This happens so often, it makes me want to scream. YOU should be empowered to do what your site what you want to do and hire who you want to hire. Even if that means my client goes to someone else. That just means she’s making the choice, not having it made for her.

2. Do you get training on how to use the admin portal?

Let’s say you get access to the entire enchilada (or tacos, I like tacos). Do you know how to update the navigation? How about uploading a blog post? You designer should at least offer a walk-through of the admin portal and answer questions like “how do I upload an image” without sticking their nose in the air and mumbling a bunch of jargon.

I give clients an hour training session after the project is complete. Why? Because if you want to make changes to your site, you can. If you want someone else to make changes for you, then it’s a choice.

3. Will there be ongoing support or the option for support?

This one’s a bit tricky because website support takes time from us, especially because we want to help every single person we run across. Here’s what you should ask a potential designer: “If, or when, I need your help, what do I do?”

The answer should be simple: “Contact us and we’ll do everything in our power to help.” In my case, it can look like me emailing a list of my fave go-to, jargon-free how-to sites OR it could mean I get to explain how my recurring services work. Now, here’s the thing. Just because us designers love helping you out, doesn’t mean you get to abuse your gift. Like a wise man once said “With great power, comes great responsibility…” Side note: I’m on a super hero kick right now.

At the end of the day, it’s all about feeling empowered and being in control.

Will you eventually be a badass and be able to not worry about your website? Yes. Do you still want to be able to know that you have full access and a support team behind you just in case? Yes.

Want to chat about strategy, tacos or super hero movies? Set up a session!