Are you on the verge of getting a new or refreshed website for your horse business? Here are the questions you need to ask so you can be sure to hire the designer that’s right for you.
Welcome to the show notes! This is a brief summary of the podcast. You'll want to listen to the entire episode for all the good stuff!
So, you're about ready to hire someone to do your website? Congratulations!
Your website may be one of the most important investments you make in your business—if you do it right. I’m genuinely excited for you!
Now, before you keep listening, make sure you’ve listened to episode #10 because we covered the 10 website terms every business owner should know.
And then, you’re almost ready to hire someone. But who will you hire? Most likely, you need someone who can design your website.
Now, you may also need a copywriter or lead generation specialist or someone who does all of the above, but for the sake of simplicity, today we’re just talking about website designers.
Before you go out and hire the first website designer you can find (or, more likely, the friend of a friend of a friend that said, “Oh, she does websites!”), you need to take a few minutes to get to know her or him and see if it’s a fit.
Think of it as the equivalent of your equine pre-purchase exam. Just as you’d look over a horse with a specific set of criteria in mind before buying him, there are some things you need to know about your website designer before you make the hiring decision.
We’ll actually break this down into two parts. Because, before you ask your potential website designer any questions, you need to ask yourself a few key questions.
Why? You need to be clear about what you want and need from your website before you start the conversation with a designer or developer.
If you don’t know what you want out of your website, then you’ll likely spend (actually, waste) time asking irrelevant questions and even getting a website built that doesn’t do what you need it to do.
That’s why first I want you to ask yourself these questions before you start talking with someone to build your website. Go ahead and grab a pen and paper or your favorite notes app and jot down your answers.
7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring a Web Designer
What’s my main reason for getting a website?
Am I going to write all the words for the site or will I hire that out?
How will I go about collecting leads (email addresses)—i.e. What will my opt-in be?
Do I plan to have a blog?
Will I be selling anything on my website?
Will I need to make ongoing updates to my site such as horses for sale or available for breeding?
What requests or needs do I have for my site that are unique to my business?
Okay, now that you’ve got a better picture in mind of what you’re looking for, you can have a much more productive conversation with your potential website designer.
Here are the 7 questions you should ask your web designer before you make a hiring decision.
Are you a website designer or developer?
Can you share links to three projects you’ve completed and tell me about your role in each project?
If I hire you for my website, what’s the timeline, and what does the design process look like?
How many revisions are included in your fee?
If custom imagery or design is needed, will I get all of the original art files?
My website goals are [insert your goals here]. How will your expertise help me meet those goals?
Will you handle future updates to my site, or will you be training me to do that?
Of course, as you talk about these specific questions, other questions may come up naturally that will give you even more insight. But these are what I would call the “biggies.”
As in, don’t hire someone until you’ve got the answer to these questions in some form or another.
Remember, this is just the summary so be sure to listen to the full episode to get a full understanding of why each question matters when selecting the best website designer for you.
If, after hearing these questions, you’re thinking, “Okay, Denise, I think I’m actually ready to start the next steps for my website,” then I’ve got great news for you.
AND, as long as you secure your spot in December then I’ll give you the discount even if you don’t think we can get started on your site until January.
Links mentioned in this episode:
4 Must-Haves to Make Your Equine Website Dreams A Reality [FREE WEBSITE CHECKLIST]
Save 20% on your one-page website package through the month of December! Check out what a one-page website looks like and see the discounts here.
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