In this post, I want to cover 5 questions you should ask when meeting with a website designer.
If you’re like most new bookkeepers I’ve worked with, building a website is new to you. You may already have a website you built yourself and want to upgrade. Or, you may want to hire a professional the first time around.
Asking these five questions and implementing the action items will help you make a confident and informed purchase decision.
1. Do you have examples of websites you’ve built for similar industries?
Many established bookkeepers have a niche or specialize in serving a specific industry, and web designers often do the same. Make sure that the website designer you choose to partner with understands your industry. This will ensure that they make strategic design decisions that align with your business goals.
Action item: Create a list of bookkeeping websites you like and take notes of features and design elements you like. After you’ve completed your list, share your ideas with your designer.
2. What does the project cost include?
Website projects are similar to bookkeeping projects. Costs can vary and are customized based on what the client needs. The level of investment you can expect depends on the scope of work for your website project.
Be sure to get a clear understanding of what is included. This will help you avoid paying for features and functionality you don’t need and missing the things you do need.
Action item: Make a prioritized list of website wants and needs. Your dream website might require a level of investment outside of your budget. If so, you can potentially reduce the cost by reducing the scope of work.
3. What is the process and turnaround time?
Building a website is similar to a catchup/cleanup project. You never really know what to expect until you have all of your information gathered and dive in so the timeframe is heavily dependent on effective and timely communication.
It’s always great to have a target launch date or estimated deadline. But, try to be flexible and have a little wiggle room in case something unexpected pops up.
Action item: Start gathering up all of your website content now (this website project planner will help.) This includes your professional logo, specific brand colors, website-ready text, and high-quality images. Having this information ready from the start will help ensure your project is completed on time and within budget.
4. How will we measure results?
There are a TON of websites online. However, not all websites generate leads.
It’s important to make sure you and your designer are on the same page when it comes to your business goals. You also need to know if they have a plan in place to help you track and measure results.
Action item: Get clear on your website goals. What is the end result you want website visitors to take? This can be booking a consultation on your calendar, submitting a contact form, downloading a free guide, giving you a phone call, etc.
5. Do you offer post-launch support?
A great website is never really finished. Every once in a while you may want to update your headshot, change your bio, add a new certification badge, write a blog post, or add additional pages. You also need to consider technical updates, maintenance, and search engine optimization.
It’s important to know whether or not your designer will help you with these tasks. If so, what does the process look like and what is the cost? If not, what training resources are provided to help you manage and maintain the website yourself?
Action item: Decide how often you plan to update your website and whether or not you want to make these updates yourself.
Have any questions about hiring a website professional? Ask me in my Facebook community. I’m always happy to help!
