A few weeks ago, I wrote a post 5 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Web Designer. That post covers things to ask the potential designers. Here’s we’ll talk about what to ask yourself, and how to know when to hire a website designer verse create a DIY website.

There are 3 times that I see most businesses choose to have a website designed, or fully redesigned. These are when it’s a brand new business, there is growth or change in the business, or the website is very outdated as far as design or technical elements.

Hiring a website designer as a business just starting out

For the majority of people just starting a business, hiring a website designer is not going to be in the budget yet or a good idea. There are exceptions. If you are just starting but have spent a good amount of time exploring your business idea, and truly understand it, then it can be a good time to hire a professional to design the website for you.

Here’s how to know if you’re new business is ready:

• You know in detail what service you are going to provide, or product(s) you are selling
• You have a thorough understanding of who you are selling to, and what their needs are
• The time to work on your new venture is set aside and dedicated to pursuing it
• There are examples of your products, or service to share on the website
• You’ve tested what it is you do with some people and feel confident in your plan

If you can say yes to at least 4 of the above, you’re probably ready. It doesn’t mean you have to be though. It’s also completely okay as a new business or freelancer to create a DIY website until you have a better understanding of your plans and goals.

A new website when your business is growing or changing

This is the most common reason clients come to us.

What you do may have grown from a hobby to bringing in real revenue, or maybe you’ve changed what you offer significantly, expanding or narrowing your audience. It’s an ideal time to really work through the process of how you want to present yourself and your business online, and work with a professional to create a new website for you.

Some things to look for are:

• You have the time to engage in the process of collaborating with a website designer
• You’ve thought out your business changes and what you want to offer
• You’re going through growth and want your website to be more efficient (from targeting the right clients to streamlining your booking process)

A lot of times at these stage, you are busy, so while hiring a web designer still requires you to put in time (gathering content, feedback meetings, ect), it’s going to be a lot less than redesigning your website yourself. I always encourage clients to think ahead to plan for a website at least a few months in advance. Some times I talk to people though that are planning for closer to a year, so that they can set aside the money, and plan to do the design at the right time of year for their business.

Hiring a web designer when your website is outdated or has technical issues

We all know technology changes quickly. My goal is for clients to get a minimum of 5 – 7 years out of a website without having to do a full redesign. (We can refresh and update, as needed.) Some times though things change. Many Pro Photo website users have been challenged recently by what to do about Pro Photo’s end of support. It can be something technical like this, or the website may just look outdated, no longer representing your brand well.

Or maybe you’re just ducking into a corner every time someone asks for your website, sending them to Instagram instead…

Still, this may not mean you are ready to work with a website designer.

You are ready when:

• You’d rather spend your time working on your business, not on your website
• You’re at a point when you know you can’t do everything and want to outsource as much of your business to other professionals
• You are okay not having a new website right away, since there are often waiting lists and then design time involved in hiring a designer
• You have an understanding of your business, clients and goals

What if you’re not ready

You can buy a template and set it up yourself, or hire a designer to consult with you. We offer Strategy Calls to work through some of the difficult parts of creating a website, or to simple guide you in the process. There’s also platforms like SquareSpace that are a little easier to use than WordPress.

We have a free resource, a checklist that guides you through the process of preparing for a new website. Whether you decide to DIY from a website template or to hire a web designer, this can help.

If you’ve reading this, and want to talk about getting on our calendar, book a call.