The Creative Arcade

  Branding, Web Design & Management

Help! We paid $8000 for a website and don’t know how to use it!

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photo by cetteup

So many of my clients are victims of this. They come to me for training on how to use their website, they come to me to fix things that were not done properly or to their request. So much of their website is nothing like they thought it would be. If this has happened to you I am so sorry you worked with the wrong designer. If this hasn’t happened to you don’t let it.

How to avoid this and get the website you want

  1. Talk to your prospective designers about what you want your site to do and how you want it to look. Use industry jargon only if you know what you’re talking about. If you don’t know what SEO is don’t speak that language. Use laymen’s terms and expect your designer to do the same so everyone is on the same page with no confusion.
  2. Request hands on training to either be included with design quote or find out how much training will cost. You should be able to login to your website with your own credentials. You should be able to write and edit a blog post and add images. For ecommerce sites you should be able to add and edit your products. You should feel comfortable and confident on your own website.
  3. Ask whether or not the designer provides ongoing maintenance and get an hourly quote to be billed by the minute of actual work time only. Many things on a website can be highly technical so unless you know code you might need the designer to update the site a few minutes once a month.
  4. Ask for ongoing SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Your website is basically lost in space if it doesn’t end up on the first few pages of search engines. SEO is not a one and done thing. SEO only works if it is updated on a regular basis. Daily or weekly. Monthly in the very least. Ask for a quote on this or for recommendations of someone who does SEO. This is included in my services. There is no reason to have a website if no-one can ever find it.

I have discovered that many website design/development firms take advantage of people who want a website but do not know much about it. Of course if you knew a lot about websites you could make your own website! Ask a lot of questions, demand to understand and be understood. Don’t let web-speak intimidate you or oversell you.