I can’t tell you how many times I have hired a web designer only to have them not finish the job and leave with my money. This has happened to me repeatedly over the past 25 years of owning five different businesses in 3 different industries. Most of them just created a beautiful Mona Lisa website that no one ever saw (no SEO built into it) with all kinds of special effects and bells and whistles (these were super cool but expensive and time consuming), but it didn’t make my business phone ring!
I have even talked to a web designer whom I hired to design some branding and a logo for me, who after paying him $1100 dollars to do my logo, couldn’t help me with a plugin I activated that caused the dreaded white screen. That sure makes me want to hire him again for more work, and I am also super excited to tell others about him too <sarcasm>. Did I mention it took way too long for him to complete my logo?
Could it be that web designers are so detail-oriented that they really don’t give a crap about the people side of life? Or they only work like a vending machine if you put money into it, you get something out of it unless it jams and then you get nothing? I don’t know, because I am still searching for a web designer that treats people right, completes his work as promised, and doesn’t want all his money right up front! So please if you know a web designer with integrity, people skills, and who finishes the job, please comment and leave their contact info for me. Thanks.
Meanwhile, I want to share some ways you can protect yourself from falling into the potholes of website building that I have.
#1 pay only a deposit, and balance upon completion of the work.
#2 ask them to report to you weekly at a minimum.
#3 ask them to have you “proof things” before they publish to the public online.
#4 Have your content ready before hiring them. (this saves you time when the clock is running and you’re under contract.
#5 make sure they create a site you can be proud of and reflects your true business personality.
OR
You could also choose to build your own WordPress website yourself so you can honor your own timeline, make your own updates rather than waiting FOREVER for your web designer to get to it. Here is really good audio on doing just that for coaches.
I hope this helps those of you out there who are working on getting some online web presence to save some time, money, and frustration.
Biz Coach Paula
