The cornerstone of our Internet marketing businesses is our web site or sites. This is the front door to our business, and the means by which we draw in our visitors. Having a web site designed according to your specifications can be a challenging experience, especially if your web designer is not clued into what a savvy Internet marketer needs. There are also 3 secrets that most designers won't tell you because it might prevent you from doing business THEIR way. Take it from this web designer/coach. Knowing these truths can save you money, time, and aggravation.
Here are the secret thoughts your web designer is thinking when you're not around...
Thought #1: I'd rather design than maintain your site.
Web design is creative and fun! You take your client's ideas, apply your imagination, and turn them into something marvelous to behold. Then your client asks you to update text on an ongoing basis. This is BOR-ING.
Solution: Learn how to update your web site yourself. Once the initial design is done, you can take it from there, provided that you have insisted that your site be simple enough for you to update.
Thought #2: I'd rather have control of your web server than have you own it.
By "ownership" we mean that you, the client, have the username and password, you get billed directly, and it's your name on the domain registration and hosting plan. Depending on the sophistication of your web designer, they may want to host the site for you on some kind of multi-domain server that saves them money but still allows them to charge YOU a lot of money.
Solution: Insist on ownership of your site. Business relationships change; either you or your web designer could change your mind about working together, and you don't want your precious web site held captive by someone who isn't cooperating! When you go shopping for a designer, tell them you already have a hosting plan and server, and see whether they're upset or relieved that you own the site.
Thought #3: I'm not going to be the one to tell you how easy HTML and CSS are to understand and use -- why give away business?
At their core, the concepts behind HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are very simple; you just need to spend some time on them as you would any worthwhile skill. The advantage that web designers have is that they've committed to spending money on expensive HTML tools that have a lot of built-in shortcuts. The good news is that you can spend less money than that on web design tools and still get lots of help from the tools.
Solution: Take a class, follow a tutorial, get some tutoring, do SOMETHING to get started learning HTML and CSS. Even if you have a web site template, sooner or later you're going to have to tiptoe through the underlying code to fix a problem. Don't be held hostage either by your web designer or your own ignorance! Set aside time each day to learn HTML and CSS, and to practice this valuable skill.
Toolie Garner is a technology expert, speaker, and web designer whose acclaimed "I Can Fix My Website" course teaches website skills to entrepreneurs, small business owners, and virtual assistants. Don't be held hostage by your web designer: learn how to update your website yourself. Visit http://www.icanfixmywebsite.com for more information.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Toolie_Garner
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