In today’s digital world, a professional website stands as a cornerstone for both businesses and personal brands. The challenge? Finding the right professional to bring your online vision to life. If you’re looking for an agency or freelancer to create a site for your business, this step-by-step guide explains how to hire someone to build a website, ensuring you onboard the best talent for the task.

DIY or Professional

Every business has unique marketing needs, and deciding when to hire marketing help is subjective. If budget constraints exist, building your own website might seem to be the default choice. However, if your business needs a polished and technically sound online presence from the get-go, engaging an expert to build your website is best.

From our advisory role to numerous SMBs, we’ve observed that businesses going the DIY route—be it via interns, fresh grads, or junior marketers—benefit significantly from a professional website review before launching a site. Additionally, you want a professional to review any DIY search engine optimization efforts.

How to Hire Someone to Build a Website

Define Your Website Needs

• Objective: Determine the primary purpose of your website. Are you aiming to inform, sell, or perhaps entertain? Pinpointing your goal will guide the rest of the process. If your business is undertaking a site migration or redesign, also see our redesign checklist.

• Functionality: Outline the specific features your website requires. This could range from a simple contact form to more intricate features like ecommerce capabilities, membership sections, or online courses.

• Design preferences: Visualize your website’s aesthetics. Granting creative autonomy is fine, bit it’s helpful to have design inspirations. Simply identifying other websites you admire can help seasoned designers understand your preferences.

• Budget: Establish a clear budget range upfront to ensure there are no financial surprises down the line. Remember, you often get what you pay for in web design.

Decide on a Hiring Route

• Freelancers = Spectrum of Expertise: Freelancers come with a wide variety of skills and experiences. Some are novices still gaining experience, while others are seasoned experts offering both top-tier strategy and execution. A freelancer’s flexibility means they can mold their schedule and approach to suit your needs. Pricing will vary, but provides an advantage for one-time projects or when seeking a unique touch. Evaluate their skills in line with your requirements.

• In-house = Consistency: An in-house designer or developer offers a continuous, integrated approach to web design. Their immersion in your company’s day-to-day operations means that the design process aligns with your brand’s values and strategies. This path can be ideal if you’re looking at frequent website modifications or have a comprehensive digital strategy in mind.

• Agency = Comprehensive: Web design agencies promise an all-around solution. They come with many resources, from graphic designers to coders, ensuring all aspects of a more complex web project are addressed. However, like freelancers, agencies fall on a spectrum—some are still finding their footing in the industry. So, while agencies can be appropriate for complex projects, it’s important to look at their track record, client testimonials, and portfolio to gauge competence and experience. Always do your due diligence before making a commitment.

Seek Recommendations and Draft a Detailed Job Post

• Description: Before resorting to marketplace platforms or job boards, ask within your professional network for recommended website developers or designers. Word-of-mouth referrals are invaluable, as they come with a trust factor and proven skills. If you don’t find a suitable candidate through your network, creating a detailed job listing will be your next best step.

  Be clear about what you expect from the developer or designer. A well-articulated description ensures that your project’s outcome aligns with your vision. Set a clear timeframe for the project so potential candidates know the expected commitment.

• Skills Required: Are there specific platforms or technologies that are important for your project? If you want a WordPress, Shopify, or Squarespace specialist—make this clear so you attract candidates with the right expertise. If you’ve received recommendations from your network, confirm that the recommended professionals possess the necessary skills for your project.

Evaluate Candidates

• Check reviews: Feedback from previous clients can give insights into their work ethic, reliability, and professionalism. Consider reaching out to past clients to get a more personal insight into their experience with the candidate.

• Interview: An in-depth discussion can help determine if they’ve understood your needs and whether their working style aligns with yours.

• Review portfolios: Does their past work align with your envisioned website? Check for both design aesthetics and functionality.

Request a Quote or Proposal

• Proposal: A proposal should be detailed, outlining the costs, delivery timelines, and precisely what services are included.

Agree on Terms

• Timelines: Before any work begins, set clear milestones and delivery dates. The efficiency of modern website builders, such as Squarespace, can mean rapid turnaround times, so both parties should be aligned on when deliverables are expected. Having this in the terms helps to establish clarity and accountability.

• Scope of work: Clearly outline the tasks, deliverables, and any additional services or features that the developer or designer will provide. This prevents scope creep and ensures that both parties are aligned on the work to be done.

• Payment terms: Specify the payment structure—whether it’s a flat fee, hourly rate, or milestone-based payments—and any penalties or fees for late payments or changes to the project scope.

• Ownership: Ensure you retain all rights to the website, its content, source files, and any associated codes or credentials.

• Confidentiality: If your website has unique elements or business ideas, consider adding clauses to protect them.

Begin the Project

• Kick-off meeting: With the contract signed, begin the project on a strong note. This meeting sets the tone, ensuring both parties are on the same page regarding objectives, deliverables, and any unique requirements.

• Feedback loops: Schedule regular check-ins to monitor progress, ensuring the project remains on course and to address any emerging concerns promptly.

Review the Completed Work

• Testing: Prior to the final payment, conduct comprehensive tests of the website across different devices and browsers for compatibility and functionality.

Consider Post-Development Needs

• Training: Ask if the developer or designer provides training sessions for you or your team to manage and update the site.

• Maintenance: Your website will need ongoing attention, be it in the form of updates, maintenance, or a business blog. Consider establishing an ongoing relationship with the developer or discussing post-launch support they offer.

Advantages of Hiring a Professional

• Expertise and experience: Professionals know what works and what doesn’t. This means that your website will be built on best practices from day one, avoiding common pitfalls and mistakes that first-timers often make.

• Efficiency: Time is money. An expert can get your site up and running much faster. This allows you to focus on what you do best: running your business.

• ROI: While the upfront cost of hiring a professional might be higher than a DIY approach, the returns in terms of website performance, user experience, and brand image make the investment worthwhile.

• Guidance on content strategy: Beyond the design, a good website has compelling content. Professionals can guide you on what type of SEO content is best suited for your audience, how to present it, and whether or not thought leadership might be needed in your industry.

• Technical competence: Professionals make sure your website is visually appealing and technically sound. SEO optimization, mobile responsiveness, and other factors impact how users and search engines perceive your site.

• Customization: While there are many DIY website platforms that offer customizable templates, they can’t match the level of customization that a professional can provide. A tailored site reflects your brand better and stands out from the crowd.

• Integrations: Experts easily integrate various tools like ecommerce, booking systems, or email marketing platforms, which can be challenging for beginners.

• Objective perspective: Having a third-party expert provides a fresh, unbiased perspective on your brand and how it should be portrayed online.

Final Thoughts

A well-designed, properly structured website with the right content can be a game-changer for many SMBs. From defining your needs to post-development support, each step will help make certain you get a website that doesn’t just look good but also functions seamlessly. By following the steps above, you’ll ensure a smooth hiring process and ultimately get a website that aligns with your vision and needs.