You have a great idea for a new business and can’t wait to get started. All your friends tell you that must have a website and your best buddy even recommend the web designer that she worked with. You hadn’t really budgeted to hire a web designer before you even had any income, but they really stressed that you need to be online so people can find you. What do you do?
You just got word from your bookkeeper that you will hit 6 figures in revenue this year and you are over the moon with excitement. Everything seems to be going great in your business this year. Your VA has been a whiz at getting getting clients set up on your project management system and your social media manager has come up with a strategy that is bringing in new inquiries weekly. Now you just need to find the time to wrap up that website redesign you have been working on all year long.
You can’t believe that you have been in business for two years now. You are so excited that things are really starting to take off and clients are raving about the results they get from working with you. You finally have enough time to move your website from Wix to WordPress so you can blog regularly and add the sales page for your new book. You have money budgeted for a redesign, but it seems silly to hire someone when you can probably learn what you need to know if you just invested in one of those online courses that teach you how to build your own site. It shouldn’t take that long – right?
When is the right time to hire a web designer? At what point in your business growth process can they provide the most benefit?
If you are technically savvy and patient enough, you can certainly learn to build your own website – but should you? At some point, the skills of a talented designer will provide a tremendous benefit to a project and your time will be better spent elsewhere.
There are a few factors to consider when you are trying to figure it out.
- Stage of business
- Patience
- Technical Skills
- Budget and money available to hire help.
The most important factors are probably your technical skills and the stage of business you are currently in, but all of the above will influence your decision.
You’re just starting and have a great idea for a business.
Surprise – the answer it no – you don’t need to hire a web designer. You may not even need a website yet. A simple landing page can get you online so you have someplace for people to find you and collect their information.
There are some very simple solutions to create landing pages on your own, or you can probably find someone to inexpensively create one for you.
You’re starting your business, but don’t have any steady income yet.
You might need to hire a web designer to create a very simple site.
This will depend on your own patience, technical know how and skill level.
At this point you have more time than money, so it doesn’t always make sense to hire someone. BUT if you don’t know your way around the internet very well and the thought of learning something new while you’re still trying to build your business, you might be interested in hiring someone to create a very simple site for you.
Your business is well established and you are ready to take things to the next level.
You are moving from a start-up business and want to be seen as more of a professional. The answer at this point leads heavily toward hiring someone. Your time is better spent growing your business and serving clients. You have some money to invest in things that will help you scale your business and support your overall marketing efforts.
This is especially true if you want to begin integrating any special features on your site such as an online store.
If you are super tech savvy and enjoy being hands-on, you may insist that you can keep managing your website yourself. That’s not always the right decision. A web designer brings a specific set of skills that can improve your website beyond where it currently is. Money spent developing a strategic design with a focus on generating leads that integrates with your overall marketing efforts can have a large return on the investment that will quickly pay for itself.
You have a six figure business.
Yes, absolutely yes – you need to hire a web designer.
At this point, you may already be outsourcing some tasks, or have a small team in place. You should definitely hire a professional to handle your next redesign. Your have already shown the ability to delegate, so be smart and hire a savvy designer that can create a super effective, professional website that has all the features that you need. You should also have someone else managing your site on a weekly and monthly basis – performing updates and making sure backups are working properly.
So maybe you have realized that you need to hire a designer to help you with your website, what do you do next? I have put together a quick guide to help you narrow down your choices. When interviewing designers, you should know exactly what you’re getting into and what they are able to provide for you.
Sign up below to get a list of the 15 Questions you must ask before you hire a web designer.
You must be logged in to post a comment.