The T.A.K.E. Factors
What To Look For When Hiring a Website Builder
Do you know what T.A.K.E. is? It’s our own term to help identify and remind you what you need to be aware of when searching for a web design and development firm.
A visit to Google will turn up quite a few sources when you’re looking for the term “What to Look for When Hiring a Website Builder”. Your options run the gamut from small specialty shops (like Team 218!) to the big boys of the corporate design world. Each has their place in the market but regardless of their size or speciality there are a few things you should be looking for.
T – TRUST
You will likely be divulging private and sometimes sensitive information to your web designer. You should feel confident that you can trust them to safeguard that information. Has the firm you’re considering been prompt in responding to your emails, text messages or phone calls? If not, consider carefully how this sets the tone for your potential business relationship. Ask questions, review their current work and check references. Don’t hesitate to walk away if you have any doubt they’re the right fit.
It’s easy to find a “good enough” web developer. Someone who can cobble together a site that looks presentable but doesn’t function as promised. But that’s the risk you take when you hire “good enough.” The truth is, there is no such thing as “good enough” when it comes to creating a successful website. There’s only “good enough” for now… but not good enough for next month or next year. The “good enough” you get today may be obsolete by tomorrow.
What you should strive for is to get someone who has the ambition and the skills to create a website that will stand the test of time. A website that is truly “exceptional.” One final thought: When it comes to choosing a web developer, I believe the most important consideration is not what they can do for you… but rather… who they are and how they will affect your business. So, how much does it cost to get a website created?
Depends. How much do you want it to stand out? How important is its appearance to you? What is your definition of “excellent”? The truth is, there is no such thing as a standard rate for anything in this business. Much depends on how extensive the website will be and who the web designer is. Small business websites can run the gamut from several hundred dollars up to tens of thousands of dollars.
A – ABILITY
A web designer may pass the trust factor but lack the ability to complete your project when you need it. You’ll want to make sure you address this early in your evaluation stage. If you need a website in a month and they are 3 months out, you may be better served by another designer. It’s fair to note that once you do hire someone, their ability to complete your project depends heavily on your response time in supplying needed information.
K – KNOWLEDGE
Things change fast in the online world and you want someone who really knows what they’re doing. But you also want someone who uses those mysterious powers for good & not evil. OK…we admit that’s a little dramatic but you get the idea! For instance, there is usually more than one way to solve a problem or design a particular effect. More often than not, this boils down to a right way and a few not-so-right ways.
And, of course, there is almost always a “best” way. Well, guess what? We have just the person for you! His name is Chuck and he has agreed to be your “go to guy” when it comes to creating effective marketing on the web.
Which leads us to our next point…
E – ETHICS
Hire a designer who not only displays the technical knowledge to produce a great website, but also has the integrity to do it right, produce optimal results, and do it all with integrity and unquestionable business ethics.
A good designer is not only someone who can create a functional, eye-catching website; he or she is also someone who cares about his or her client. Remember the old days when a lawyer would ask his client: “Do you understand what I have explained to you?” If the answer was “Yes”, the lawyer would say, “Good. Now sign here indicating you agree with everything I have explained to you.”
An example of a designer who did not care and did not have your best interests at heart is someone who created a website for me some time ago. This so-called “designer’s” only design skill was to be able to type something into a computer and have it appear on the screen.
He never questioned whether what he was producing was beneficial for his client. In fact, he actually believed it was detrimental because… it was easy (and therefore cheap) to create a website… but… it cost a lot (an infinite amount) to maintain a website. Websites were his thing; he knew nothing about the value of a carefully crafted, highly optimized website. He was more than willing to create a website for me… at any price… no matter how outrageous.
I ended up paying him an exorbitant amount of money for the privilege of having him create a website for me. If I had to do it over again… I would hire someone else to create that website for me… because… that first “designer” did not care about my best interests.
“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”
Mark Twain
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