Yesterday I posted Why You Should Hire a Web Designer for Your Small Business.  Here is the thing… not everyone should hire a web designer right now.

1. You are not ready.

You are new in business.  You have no idea what your real business plan is yet, or who your client is.  If you are new to business but have ideas and are ready to work through all this, then go for it.  If you are just dabbling with figuring out what you do and who you do it for, then take some time first. I recently completed a website for a client who was absolutely ready to figure it all it with me, even though when he first approached me he really did not have a clear picture yet.  This is fine. We can certainly work through it together.  The discovery process is definitely something I love collaborating on.

2. You are too busy.

Even though it takes more time to do your own website, working with a designer will require time as well.  You need to have enough time to review concepts, have occasional meetings, respond to emails within a few days, and to create your content.  It’s okay if you need more time than typical for some steps or if you are going to be traveling for a week during the process, as long as you communicate this.  Just be realistic than any website re-design will require some of your time.

3. You don’t have a realistic budget.

I work with clients on projects big and small, but you’ll of course need some budget set aside.  If you are just starting out, we can do a quick one page scrolling website, or utilizing a template for a basic 5 page site.  The more content, the more custom and the more branding involved, the more the cost goes up. If you are not sure what to budget, I’m more than happy to create a quote knowing you might not be ready for a while.  I know having a budget estimate can help clients plan.

Clients come to me at all stages in their business from just starting out to making some sort of transition, to just needing a fresh look.  One of the questions I encourage you to think about is: Why do you want a new website?  What is the true reason?  Are you hoping to double your sales by having a professional site?  Do you just hate your current look and feel the need for something new?  Have you been trying to put up a site yourself for the last 2 weeks 16 hours per day?  Think about where you are and what you hope the new site to bring you.  This should help you decide if you are at a good point to hire a web designer.

If you’re not ready for a full custom website design, check out our creative template shop for Pro Photo Sites, Elementor and Squarespace templates.