Seven Ways Contractors Can Prequalify a Good Web Site Designer

Having and working on my web site has been a very rewarding and educational experience. Because the web site company I worked with helped me design the function as well as the appearance of my site it quickly became the primary source of new business for me and my company. Because they helped me select my hosting service and my content management system (CMS), and because they trained me on how to use my CMS, I can create pages, edit my content and even optimize my site for SEO on my own without needing them to do it for me. When I want to add a new function to my site they are there to help me do so and will also teach me how to use and maintain the new function.

Win-Win!

Website designer for a contractor All this leads to my ability to help my targeted customer types find me and find out what it will be like to work with me as their coach or mentor before they contact me about my services. The experience of getting my own web site up, learning about using it as a marketing tool and the success I have had using it as a tool has also given me the ability to help my contractor coaching clients get on the right path with their own web sites!

Do you have the right web site and web site designer?

choosing a web site designer If your business doesn’t yet have a web site, or the one you have isn’t helping your target customers find you like mine helps me, don’t make the mistake of working with the wrong web site designer. Here are a few “red flags” to watch for as you either work with your current designer or as you interview one to work with.

Never work with a designer who doesn’t offer a CMS or requires that he or she be the only one who can add to or edit your web site.
Never work with a designer unless their offering includes a way to measure your web site efforts and results (analytics) and you have access to those analytics on demand.
If they don’t ask you about and include any calls to action and landing pages, you will probably end up with an on-line brochure that won’t generate quality leads.
If the price seems too good to be true, don’t work with them. Either they don’t know what they are doing, will only be creating an “on-line brochure” or they will get you on “extras” after you’re stuck working with them.
If they offer to help you with SEO, but never ask you who your target customers, job types and market area are you may get visits to your site but you will probably never be able to covert those visits into paying customers.
If they don’t insist you include a blog they probably don’t understand SEO for contractors. Also, make sure the blog is part of your site, not linked to another site or service.
Never work with a designer who wants to own your URL (web site address).

I hope you found this article helpful. Please use the comments area below to share your own good experiences and or your own “red flags”. If you want help planning the purpose and function of your web site, or help with selecting a web site designer, send me an email me now.

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