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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 third of a 3-part series.
The series How to Find a Great Webmaster begins here.
Step 3: Testing the Waters
You’ve decided on a webmaster you’d like to hire. Her past clients rave about her. Her expertise overlaps your needs. She fits your budget. Now it’s time to put a toe in the water and make sure it’s comfortable.
Mutually Agree on Expectations before Hiring
Everyone has expectations, but you should never assume your know your webmaster’s expectations or that he knows yours. Always spell them out. For instance, if you expect someone to be available to work on weekends, let him know up front, before any contracts are signed. Not every webmaster will agree to this, but there are some who have no problem with it.
The trick is mutually agreeing to expectations, on both sides. This means you need to respect the expectations given to you as well, such as providing content within a reasonable timeframe if your webmaster is working on a hard and fast deadline.
Put It in Writing (E-mail Does Not Count)
Once you’ve agreed on your mutual expectations and the tasks to be completed, put everything in writing. Don’t rely on e-mail or instant messages as your legal record. A signed contract is in everyone’s best interest. You may want to include a clause that states the contract can be severed at any time by either party and if it is, any work completed will be compensated. Even people with the best intentions sometimes get things wrong. A signed contract helps protect both parties.
(If you’ve found a great webmaster you’re happy with and don’t want to write up a contract for each small item, consider a service contract. Some of my clients buy blocks of my time in advance, and then I work on small items and fixes on an as-needed basis until the time is used up.)
Start Small
Your best bet is to start with a small project. Need a complete web overhaul? Break it down into smaller tasks (or ask your new webmaster to break it down based on what can be done in phases). Then hire him to complete one of the small tasks. Your experience with this person on the small task will be an indicator of how future work will go.
Other Considerations
Just following the steps above may not be enough to clear up the confusion of hiring a webmaster. Other factors can come into play as well.
All-Inclusive Agencies vs. Independent Professionals
All-inclusive agencies may be a good way to cover all your bases at once. They can be one-stop shopping and make your life more convenient. Some drawbacks are that they typically cost more than independent professionals, and you may not get personal or timely service. As with any decision, weigh the pros and cons and decide what will work for you.
The SEO Myth
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has its place, but be wary of any person (or agency) who stresses it as the most important aspect of what she does. SEO is a form of marketing, and though it can be helpful, it shouldn’t be The Main Component of your website. A good webmaster incorporates sound SEO principles automatically, such as writing standards-compliant code. The biggest factor of SEO ranking is the quality of your content, not how well someone games the system of the search engines.
And, keep in mind, those folks at Google are smart. As soon as SEO methods other than legitimate content begin to make rankings rise, the search engines discount those methods. (Meta keywords, anyone?)
Webmasters are Not Content Creators
You likely do not know all the web options available. Your webmaster can certainly explain how certain aspects of the web work and offer suggestions as to how to proceed. In the end, however, it’s up to you to decide what you want and/or need on your site.
Though being a web professional for well over a decade has exposed me to multiple industries and made me an asset to any pub trivia team, I can’t do what you do. I am not an expert in your field. I don’t understand the nuances involved in your business. My expertise lies in allowing you to convey information and promote yourself to your intended audience. Combining our skills and knowledge is the key to a great site.
Be a Good Client
The best webmasters have the best clients. Don’t think a webmaster won’t fire you as a client; it happens all the time. Being a good client will ensure that you’re a priority for your webmaster down the road. If you’re known as the client who always pays her invoices on time, and has clear expectations, you’ll definitely be put ahead of the client who tries to negotiate every bill and asks if the design could be more red, but not red (an actual request from a former client).
Am I saying you should bend over backwards for your webmaster or tolerate shoddy work? Absolutely not! But professionalism should come from both sides.
The Power of the Platform
I’m not going to pull any punches here. I am a huge fan of WordPress and work with it almost exclusively. There are plenty of options for building your site, but consider how easy it will be for you to make content changes down the road. Your webmaster should have some ideas on making your future changes easy and doable on your own.
WordPress is just one solution, but consider the platform you plan to use and make sure your potential webmaster is familiar with it.
Go Get ‘Em!
If you’ve read this far, you’re in terrific shape. You should have no problem finding a great webmaster. You’ve demonstrated patience and a willingness to learn more about an area you’d probably rather avoid.
The most important advice I can give, though, is not all the steps above. Instead, it is these four words: listen to your instincts. The maze is murky, and there are people out there who make a very nice living taking advantage of those lost in it. If you listen when that voice in the back of your head is telling you something isn’t quite right, you can avoid becoming one of those horror stories you’ve heard, and instead have the peace of mind of knowing your website is in good hands.
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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.
Michelle, I’m so glad that you included this entire section in your series! I want to point out that with the best intentions in the world, sometimes our expectations get in the way. Here’s a perfect example . . . .
Mental health professionals typically bill for “face time” spent with a client. We do not, as a rule, charge for any time spent researching how to work with a particular issue – even if it is truly unusual or exceptional. That research may be done via consultation, individual study, taking a class, etc. And, most often there is a financial as well as time-cost involved. We charge for NONE of that.
It’s considered part of our professional responsibility to do that research and, of course, we (and our future clients) benefit from that. It’s considered to be a basic professional standard and we are considered to be UNETHICAL if we do not engage in that professional development throughout our careers.
Imagine my surprise when I realized that one of my web designers was actually charging me every time she had to research an unusual / uncommon request! I was stunned and so have some of my colleagues been when they, too, have been charged for similar requests. When I broached this subject with my current designer, she was stunned that psychotherapists don’t charge for those things. (She was also, I think, a but incensed at even the idea of not charging for those services. She also pointed out – and rightly so – that she continuously upgrades her technical skills in the same ways – through consultation, self study, and classes – focusing on what she feels she needs to be learning.
Of course, it’s simply a different standard for a different profession. And, that’s my point. I had a really solid and detailed contract with my designer. But, what I didn’t have was the same standards of practice and the same language. That’s not unusual, I think. What I learned from this is that even with good intentions, a solid contract, and two people who really like and respect each other, . . . you still have to ask questions and be open to hearing the answers. The “rules” are not the same for all professions. And, while we all tend to think that our way is the “right” way, it’s not particularly useful to cling to those judgments when working with different professions. A better choice is to keep the lines of communication open throughout the project you are working on.
Michelle, your series, and especially this point, are invaluable to those of us who don’t typically speak your language. Thank you, thank you for taking time again to share this information with us!