We get it. Building a website from scratch can seem unreasonably expensive. It’s tempting to want to take care of everything on your own. However, without the help of professionals, your business website may experience lower engagement rates, fewer visits, and major technical difficulties.
Hiring a professional will save you time, effort, and even money in the long run. You deserve a successful website! We’ve outlined the three most important website-building professionals you need to end up with a website for your business that flows seamlessly and drives sales.
Who to Hire When Building Your Website from Scratch
1. Website Designer/Developer
Before you can start filling your website with amazing content, you need to create the appearance of your site and get it up and running. Website designers are going to be your first stop. Designers create the idea of what the website should look like including the color scheme, fonts, widgets, images, and more.
On the other hand, website developers take the ideas that the designer has created and turn them into reality. Developers write the code and create the website itself. They work with your budget to make your website function as flawlessly as possible.
While website designers and developers are typically two different people, you can sometimes get lucky enough to find someone who specializes in both! Both designers and developers are equally important to get your website up and running.
2. SEO Specialist
Did you know that you have a way to make your website more likely to show up in Google search results? Websites don’t magically appear in someone’s search results. They get there—in part—because of SEO!
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It encompasses a variety of methods for increasing a website’s chances of organically showing up in search results. Hiring an SEO specialist can help:
- Increase your visits and engagement
- Raise your website’s Google rank
- Optimize your advertisements
- Make your content more interesting to readers
- Keep your content trendy and up-to-date
3. Professional Writer
Once you have your website designed and developed, it’s important to add written content. It may seem tempting to take care of writing the content on your own. However, it’s best to hire a professional that understands how to write content that’s engaging, easy to understand, and incorporates the keywords that your SEO specialist has suggested.
Professional content writers know what customers want. They’re able to produce unique, polished content that not only gets clicks but also helps convert visitors to paying customers. Professional content writers like Strong Estate Marketing can take care of your landing pages, blogs, product descriptions, and more.
Where to Find Them
So now you know what professionals you need, but where on earth do you find them?! The hiring search may seem like a monumental task, but don’t worry. We’ve got answers for that too!
1. Freelance Sites
Freelance sites are websites that host a variety of freelance professionals. This means that these individuals are self-employed and set their own rates. Some may be full-time freelancers, while others may work traditional 9 to 5 and be on the site to support their side hustles. You’ll be able to communicate with professionals directly through these websites.
Freelance sites are great because you can often read reviews, message multiple professionals to compare quotes, and get a pretty quick turnaround at an affordable rate. In addition, freelance sites often feature professionals from all over the world so you won’t be limited in your options. Some of the best freelance websites to browse include:
2. Recommendations From Other Businesses
Entrepreneurs tend to flock together. If you know other business owners in any industry, they’re a great resource when you’re building your website from scratch. Asking other businesses for recommendations is helpful because you’re able to view the work that has already been completed. Know someone with a business website you love? Ask them who did it! See a killer business blog? Ask what writer they’re using!
Even if you don’t have a lot of entrepreneur friends, it’s worth spending some time searching through websites that you like. Contact the owners of the business and ask what professional they hired for the part of the website that you like. If they’re another smaller business and they aren’t a direct competitor, they may be happy to help a fellow entrepreneur. You can contact multiple businesses and owners for the different professionals you are looking for.
3. Referrals from Other Professionals
One, final, easy way to find professionals in the areas you’re looking for is to ask other professionals for referrals. There are three ways you can go about this:
- Ask a professional you know. If you have a connection with a designer, developer, writer, or SEO specialist, you could ask them for referrals to other professionals. Sometimes you may already know one of these pros but they can’t take on your project because they are over-booked or they specialize in a particular niche. Rather than getting frustrated by this, simply ask them if they know others that may be taking on work right now.
- Ask the professionals you’ve already hired. If you’ve already hired one of the three professionals that you need for your website building, you can ask them for referrals for the other tasks. For example, if you’ve already hired a website designer, ask them if they know any good SEO specialists. Since all of these jobs go hand-in-hand, the odds are pretty good. Even if they don’t have a specific name, they may have some resources to help you find someone.
- Ask past professionals you’ve worked with. It’s also okay to reach out to individuals you’ve worked with in the past. Maybe they’ve moved on to a different job or they’ve even retired but they still may have valuable connections.
Set Your Business Up for Success by Knowing Who to Hire for Your Website
Website building isn’t easy. Designing the perfect look, developing the technical pieces, writing perfect content, and optimizing the site for SEO are huge, daunting tasks. However, when you know who to hire for your website and where to find them, your website will be up, running, and successful in no time!
