CALL IN THE PROS

LET’S BE HONEST:
not everyone is cut out to spend hours programming or shuffling templates to build their own website. So how do you know when you should hire a pro? It’s all about the value of your time and the desired quality of your website. If you can put yourself to better use by playing to your strengths and attending to other aspects of your business, hiring a professional web designer is a good investment. You might have the time to build a website but lack the skill. It’s often worthwhile to have an expert create a unique and professional look. Web designers know what fonts, font sizes, icons and graphics to use. Good designers know the right amount of content to use to get results. Web designers can help you take your site to the next level. Don’t be tempted to go with an inexpensive amateur or a friend of a friend who dabblesin web building. You need
someone who specializes in making clean,secure, well-designed business websites. This is the face you’re showing the world, and it needs to be professional. It’s easier to do it the right way from the start than to fix a messy site later on. After all, you may only get one chance to impress a prospect.
FIND A DESIGNER
With thousands upon thousands of potential web designers vying for your business, finding the right one may seem a little daunting. You might want to look locally if you absolutely need to visit with your designer in person. Otherwise, the nature of the web gives you access to a lot of great designers around the world. If you’re comfortable working with a designer over the phone and by e-mail, you’ll open up your options considerably. Whether you search locally or look beyond your town, referrals are a great place to start your web designer search. Talk to other business owners about their experiences with their web designers. What did they like about them? Were they easy to work with? Was thesite completed in a timely manner? As you narrow down potential candidates, take a look at the websites they’ve built. Check to see if they all look alike or if they’re tailored to eachbusiness. Delve beyond the homepage to see how the sites are structured, if the navigation is simple and if the look is consistent. Then interview them, and ask about their experience designing business sites. See “Meet Your Match” at right for a checklist to help you choose the right designer.
MEET YOUR MATCH
■What’s the rush? Finding the right web designer is like finding the perfect architect to
build an office building. Do your homework; check out sites you like and find out who designed them. Then narrow your decision down to a few, and thoroughly check out their work. Don’t limit your search to where you live.
■Show ‘em. Before you talk to a designer, surf the web and print out what you like and what you don’t. Be clear about what you want. Saying “I want a cool site” isn’t good enough.
■Get it in writing. Before you sign a contract with the designer you choose, make sure you have already registered the domain name in your own or your company’s name. The contract should state that you have the perpetual and irrevocable rights to the material: to use it on your site and to reproduce, disseminate and change it. After you sign the contract, take notes during meetings with your designer so you can keep track of what’s going on.
■Spell it out. Determine who is responsible for what. What do you expect from the designer, and when will it be delivered? What will you be responsible for? Don’t pay upfront. Instead, pay when predetermined goals are met.
■Try it out. Before your site goes live, your designer should create a “shadow site” so you can test it. And don’t give the OK until you’re sure that it’s ready to roll out. Remember, first impressions count with prospective customers.
■Get access. Make sure you’ll be able to make your own changes to your site after it launches without having to go back to the designer or your hosting company
KEEPING CURRENT
Once you’ve created your site, it’s crucial to keep it updated, whether it’s with a calendar,
coupons, contact information or company news. Many web designers and hosting companies will let you handle your own minor updates using a web interface. Or if you use Microsoft Office Live, your designer can use their tools to create your site, which then allows you to make minor changes while preserving the unique design your web pro created for you. This can save you lots of money and help you keep your site updated without having to wait for the web designer to do it. Be sure to ask how updates will be handled before you hire your designer. It’s smart to hire a web designer who will stick with you as your business grows. Your website should mature and change along with your company. A good web designer will be able to expand your site as needed and suggest helpful new tools or technologies. Do your homework before you hire, and you’ll be getting not just a designer, but a web-savvy business partner as well. Also be sure to for many helpful links on designing your website.