So many of you have written in with questions, concerns, and horror stories related to working with web designers / webmasters . . . . If you have had your website up for a while, you already know that “hiccups” happen. And, if you are at least half-tech-clueless like me, then you’ll need your webmaster to take a peak on the back side of your website occasionally and clean up the mess.
I’ve invited my e-friend and colleague in Oregon, Michelle Panulla, to write a guest post today offering her suggestions for finding that perfect webmaster to help you keep your site running smoothly.
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A Guest Post by Michelle Panulla
(If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.)
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This is the first of a 3-part series.
Many people find themselves lost when it comes to hiring a webmaster. Successful, intelligent people suddenly find they don’t know which way to turn. Horror stories abound about other people choosing the wrong person for the job. Thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars…wasted. Unethical, unknowledgeable, unfriendly “professionals” have churned the web waters into a murky, sinister maze.
Thankfully, there are steps you can take to find your way out of the maze. Like any good investment, you’ll need to take the time to do a little research before laying your money down. By following the suggestions below, you should be better able to find the right web professional(s) for your needs, and make that investment pay off.
Step 1: Identifying Potential Webmasters
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
You’re lost. I’m betting a few of your friends and colleagues were equally lost not so long ago. Ask around and find out who they have hired. If you’re part of a professional association, send an e-mail asking for suggestions. (Webmasters familiar with your industry are icing on the cake.)
Once people respond with suggestions, dig a little deeper off-list. Is this webmaster reliable? What is her price range? Does he reply within a reasonable amount of time or disappear for days on end?
In the last few years, 100% of my work has come from word of mouth. My online portfolio is shamefully out of date. I haven’t updated my résumé in quite some time, either. Just like you wouldn’t want to go to a new dentist you picked out of thin air, getting a recommendation from someone you trust can direct you to the right person quickly.
Contact Local Web User Groups
The best web professionals keep up with the latest trends and technology. And since technology changes constantly, it’s not a career choice for people who don’t enjoy learning new things. One common way webmasters keep up is by participating in User Groups, which are small communities where they can talk with each other about the latest innovations and hear about new methods. These user groups can be for a specific product or technology (Flash, Java, WordPress) or general topics (Web Design, Social Media, Blogging).
Doing a quick online search can lead you to local user groups. (For instance, type your location and the terms “web” and “user group” into a search engine and see what pops up.) Identify a group from the results that likely covers what you need. Then write up a (brief) description of your site and what you need from a webmaster. Contact the group leader and ask if she will send it out to the members.
Search the Web
If you strike out with the previous two steps, don’t fear. There ARE great people out there online (many of them have updated portfolios, too!). Do an online search and visit the sites that pique your interest. Send them the same brief description/needs list you compiled for the User Groups.
Once you’ve found a few people who may fit the bill, it’s time to move on to more specific factors in order to make your decision.
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Michelle Panulla is a WordPress Developer in Portland, Oregon and part of the
Blogging with Beth team. She loves travel, dark chocolate, dark beer, Thai food, critters, coffee and karaoke night.
Hi Tamara and Michelle. Great post.
I came about your page via Cullin Collective via David P “Not Most People List” and his link in comments. How is that for web connectivity.
Regarding your post:
Another alternative is to give it a go yourself. We have a very easy to use website builder (http://www.buildmysite.com.au) which allows almost anyone to drag and drop a website together!
We also offer to either assist or build the site completely if people wish to be less involved.
Have signed up and look forward to further reading your blog.
Hi, Jonathan! I’m so glad that you dropped in to chat! Welcome to Private Practice from the Inside Out!
As you may have noticed, I tend to be a bit tech-phobic. I tried for years to put my first website together on my own via a “drag and drop” platform but repeatedly found it overwhelming. In the end, the flexibility of this WordPress site has turned out to be ideal for me as it has allowed me to grow my website as my confidence has grown. And, the upfront investment was certainly more cost-effective in the long run.
It’s only fair to say, though, that at the time, I was not familiar with your company. Perhaps yours is different and would have steered me in a different direction.
In any case, I hope you’ll drop back in often to join us in our conversations about developing a strong private practice!
In any case,
Nice to hear from you, Jonathan! As a WordPress developer, I admit to a certain bias when it comes to building sites. I do, however, encourage everyone to explore options. What works well for one person may not be feasible for somebody else.
This is actually where finding a good webmaster can be a great help. Sorting through the available resources out there can be tricky and overwhelming. Having somebody whose “been there, done that” in your corner can be invaluable and save a lot of time, money and headaches down the road.
Hi, Michelle! Thanks so much for chiming in here! You make a good point. An ethical webmaster will disclose his / her biases but will also support you in making your own informed choices.
I have colleagues in Parker, Colorado who ended up working with an unethical webmaster who created websites for them on a content management platform (CMS) – which means that my colleagues should have easily been able to add / change content on their websites on their own. The unethical webmaster chose not to provide the passwords that would enable them to manage their own content and, unfortunately, my colleagues did not know any different. The webmaster, instead, charged them for every little change which amounted to significant chunks of money!
The moral of the story? Make sure you have strong and ethical technical support before you pay for that website!
Nice to hear from you, Jonathan! As a WordPress developer, I admit to a certain bias when it comes to building sites. I do, however, encourage everyone to explore options. What works well for one person may not be feasible for somebody else.
This is actually where finding a good webmaster can be a great help. Sorting through the available resources out there can be tricky and overwhelming. Having somebody whose “been there, done that” in your corner can be invaluable and save a lot of time, money and headaches down the road.