You’ve finally decided that you’re ready for hiring a website designer, but where to start?

I got you! 

Now this is no small decision. 

If you’ve landed on my post here, it’s because you know the importance of getting it right from the start. 

I’ve had so many clients that have come to me after spending thousands on a previous website that didn’t feel right, didn’t reflect their business and was a really awful experience... 

...or they’ve spent hours upon hours trying to do it themselves only to end up with a lacklustre site that is enticing nobody to sign up with them and buy what they’re selling. 

That’s why I feel very passionate about making sure I give you alllll the tips so you get it right from the get go. 

I’m going to talk you through exactly what a good web designer should do, the benefits of hiring a website designer and the investment side of things. 

After I’ve given you all the information, the most important thing you can do is this…

Trust your intuition. Your gut. Whatever you want to call it.

There is no better indicator on what is the right decision for you. Not asking your business coach. Your friends. Your partner. Only you will know if that designer will “get you” and be able to carry out the vision you have for your business. 

What Does a Website Designer Do?

In a nutshell - a website designer creates an online shopfront for your business and curates it in such a way that it attracts your dream clients and makes it easy for them to buy from you. 

Benefits of Hiring a Website Designer

There are so many benefits to hiring a website designer and below are just a few of them...

Clarity

What I always find for all of my clients is that by hiring a website designer they have to get really clear on…

• what they do

• what they offer and 

• who they’re speaking to 

Of course you know these things on a fundamental level but when you hire a designer, you need to get super clear on all aspects of your business as you will need to write compelling copy to illustrate what it is you do.

If you can’t be clear on these things for your website designer then you can’t be clear when explaining it to your would be new clients.

Expertise

A good website designer will have a strategy call with you where they help you on the clarity aspect and how best to display what it is you do. 

This can be anything from; 

• Should you have a ‘work with me’ page that clients click the offer they’re interested in or should it just be in a drop down box in the main navigation bar running along the top of your website?

• What fonts would suit your brand best and be suited for your clients too

• The best way for your clients to get in touch with you, that will convert 

• Ideas that you’ve not even thought of such as a branded ‘404 oops’ page that has a message saying, sorry you’ve landed here - why not download this great guide (get them on your email list stat)

• They can help you with systems such as connecting your email system or scheduling tools so your business flows smoothly (ya know, all the tech sh** that blows your mind up!) 

Time

Ahhh our most precious resource. I cannot tell you the amount of clients I’ve had who have said they’ve spent hours, days, weeks trying to sort out their website for themselves and it looks nothing like how they wanted. 

They’ve spent time learning new skills that really would have been far better spent getting more clients in the door or servicing their already growing client base. 

Cost

Now this may seem a funny one to add here as you’re probably thinking well, “of course so expensive to hire a website designer”. This doesn’t always have to be the case. Sometimes you might do an exchange of services with a designer or you hire someone from a ‘per hour’ kind of site. 

What will always be the case is that if you hire a professional because you know you don’t have the skillset or creative mojo, you will 100% save money, simply on the fact that you’re not wasting your time doing it yourself. 

Your time is money and rather than thinking you can do it yourself (when we’ve already established that you know you can’t) then you could have spent your time earning more money for your business doing something you’re good at. 

Cheerleader

This is a huge one. A lot of clients that I work with are female entrepreneurs and mostly work by themselves, this can be a lonely world sometimes. Often you’ve come from a 9-5 job and the move into working by yourself can be hard and not having anyone to bounce your ideas with is tough. 

When you hire a website designer (if they’re one you click with), they’ll become your new team member. They’ll care about your business just as much and want to realise your dreams into reality with a gorgeous converting money making machine (website) for you. 

Never underestimate the power of this. 

#3 Tips for Hiring the Best Website Designer for Female Entrepreneurs

There are so many talented designers out there that it can be hard to choose which one to hire. As a female entrepreneur, it’s important that your website designer understands your business and the heart behind your brand. 

Here are #3 tips to help you when hiring a website designer for your business.

1. Choose a Female Entrepreneur Like Yourself

Hiring someone you can relate to and that you feel comfortable with is a huge plus. I know that whenever I’ve hired someone for my team, I love picking fellow female entrepreneurs who are passionate about what they do and want to help me as their mission is the same - all about lifting other women up. 

I tend to hire women who have similar values to me. Personal development is a biggie, I love it if they’re into the same sort of things such as manifesting and the law of attraction etc. - obviously whatever’s your bag! 

2. Opt for a Small Website Design Agency Over a Large One

Small web design agencies often offer more personalized services to ensure your website accurately represents you and your brand. 

3. Review the Designer’s Past Work

Some questions to consider when choosing the perfect website designer: 

• Do you like their website? 

• Do you like the websites they’ve created for other clients? 

• Does their past work resonate with your current brand? 

These will help you determine if they are the right fit for you.

How Much Does Hiring a Website Designer Cost?

As you can imagine, the cost of hiring a website designer varies depending on who you hire and the services they provide. 

I find that the most important thing to do when evaluating the costs, as there will be a wide scale out there, are to look at these things;

• Who you think will give you the most kickass website

• Who you connect with the most
  (hiring a website designer is a deeply personal thing I think, so many of my clients get very vulnerable with me, it’s a biggie, never dismiss that getting a new website is a small thing - you’re majorly uplevelling here! That’s scary and exciting) 

• Who you think you can depend on and will keep things on time

• Who has great testimonials - speak to previous clients if you like

• Trust your intuition. You know who is the right fit. 

My thought when hiring anyone in my business is always this, the money will come back to me in expected and unexpected ways. I’m a little woowoo ‘spiritual’ here and I believe that money is energy and that it always flows back to you.

At Elizabeth Ellery, I am passionate about helping female entrepreneurs develop their brands and create websites they love. For more information about my services and pricing, schedule a free consultation call today!