Have you ever visited a website and just gotten a bad feeling about it? Maybe you’re looking for something specific to buy and land on a page that makes you feel…well, funny about making a purchase on it.
You’re not sure why – maybe it’s the blurry photos of the products or the background is distracting. Maybe you see the site isn’t secure with https:// or the layout is messy and confusing. I think we’ve all been there at one time or another. And what do you do? You probably search for another website, never to return again.
Now what if that was YOUR website I was talking about? The one you created with a free site builder because you wanted to save money or you figured that something was better than nothing. It may have taken you days or weeks to do, putting in frustratingly long hours trying to learn how to do things. Well, don’t feel bad, we’ve all been there before.
The problem is that you may have lost a customer forever. You may continue to lose customers and wonder why nobody is ordering online after all that work you did. But you still don’t want to hire a professional because it’s too expensive. The website is great in your eyes…there’s nothing wrong with it! But you continue to let it languish and it goes unpatched, maybe only updating the product information and pricing. Now you’re in a pickle, from an IT point of view.
Most business owners don’t like spending money on websites because they feel it isn’t worth the expense. I can tell you that personally, I’ve searched for niche products and come across websites with all of those problems I just mentioned and I left them without purchasing a thing. I would love to reach out to every business that has a site like that and tell them I’d love to help (and sometimes I do!).
There is so much that goes into building a website besides the asthetics of the theme and the quality of the photos. A typical business owner wouldn’t have a clue about what those other things are and believe me, you don’t have time to learn and implment them. This is where professional web designers come in. There’s so much to do behind the scenes that it’d take weeks, if not months to explain them all.
You pay for the knowledge that someone else spent years learning and stays up to date on (because change happens quickly). You’re paying for all of the “gotchas” they learned by trial and error and made that mental note going forward to never go down that road again.
Websites must be thought of as an investment (and it is a tax deduction). And while most businesses also don’t like to think about a marketing budget, it can also be considered part of that expense as well. You know that old saying, “You have to spend money to make money.” It is especially true today as everyone is expected to be online and one step ahead of their competitors. A good website can and will make you money if it’s done right. You can’t just set it and forget it. You need to be connected to your customer on social media or through newsletters. If you don’t, you’ll be forgotten. But the question is, do YOU have time for this?
It’s hard to make changes. It’s hard to move on when you’re stuck in the past and think everything will still be ok the way it is. It’s hard if you don’t follow the trends. But if your business is important to you and you want to make more money, not only do you need to be the best at what you do, you should also put forward the best impression possible online. By having a DIY website, you risking ruining that first impression…and we all know THAT old saying.
Business owners are far too busy to also manage their IT and online needs in addition to everything else they cram into their day. Leaving those worries to a professional frees up your day and takes a lot off of your mind. So what do you look for when trying to find this person? It’s difficult to know if you’ve found the right one. Here are some suggestions:
- Make sure they ask about your concerns, goals, current problems and the most imporant things to take care of first.
- If you already have a website, have they reviewed it before they met with you? If so, they should tell you what they think needs improvment or immediate action.
- Have they asked or suggested things you haven’t brought up or issues you hadn’t even thought of? This shows they’re trying to cover more bases that you didn’t know about (just be sure they make sense to you).
- How do they make you feel? Is your gut telling you there’s something not right or are they talking over your head? Are they only talking about themselves, trying to sell you on their company or do they make you feel relieved that someone understands your struggles? Go with your gut. There are too many other people out there and you should feel good about the person you’re hiring.
- Do they reach out to you unexpectedly with ideas or suggestions? If so, this means they’re finding other ways for you to grow your business or connect with your customers. As long as it makes sense to you, then this is a good thing. If it doesn’t, then maybe they’re just trying to make a quick buck with no return for you. They should always be in your court.
- Do they seem organised and timely? Are their emails full of typos (then your website may be, too). Do they do things when they say they will? Were they on time for your meeting? Do they respond quickly to your messages?
- Ask for references. Look at sites they built for their clients (they should have an online portfolio) and be sure you’re happy with those.
- You’re not obligated to hire anyone just because they spent a lot of time asking about your business or they gave you a quote. If it doesn’t feel right to you, then move on.
Hiring the right design person is not much different than hiring someone for your business. More than likely, you get along with the people you work with. You want to be able to make sure the job is getting done right and not have to micro-manage this person. You shouldn’t have to ask for things to get done or worse, remind them. So be careful out there when choosing a new web designer. You don’t want that to be another problem to deal with in your daily life!
Warm Reptile Designs has decades of experience working with hundreds of people of varying technical expertise – from beginner to advanced. We retain customers year after year which speaks volumes about our ethics. Get in touch to have a chat about your website or other IT challenges to see what we can do for you!
