Choosing a consultant
Choosing a business consultant can sometimes feel daunting.
We recommend to jot some notes using this guide to help articulate what you want in order communicate your expectations to your future consultant. If your project involves a website, there are some additional considerations outlined in this guide.
Before you begin:
Before you start evaluating consultants for your project, it is extremely important that you are clear on your immediate and ongoing needs. Think about these prompts in order to define your needs and expectations.
- Clearly describe in detail the problem you are trying to solve.
- When this project is complete, what will it accomplish for you? (Examples: increase sales, hire new employees, etc.)
- What solutions have you tried or what actions have you already taken to try to solve this problem? Did they work/not work? Why?
- When you look at peers or competitors, have they faced a similar problem and what have been their solutions? Why might these be good or bad examples for you?
- What time and resources do I have to commit to the solution?
Interviewing consultants:
Now that you are clear on your needs, it’s time to start looking at consultants. Here are some questions to consider as you interview them:
- Thinking about my project, are there credentials that are important for a consultant to have for the solutions? For example, if I need training in Quickbooks, I might need a Certified Quickbooks Pro Advisor, and not necessarily a CPA. However, if I need a financial audit, I do need a CPA.
- Does this consultant have experience in my industry? Do they have experience with businesses in my stage of growth? Look for testimonials and examples on their website or ask for a portfolio with specific examples.
- After interviewing a consultant, do I feel like it’s a good fit? Do I feel comfortable working with them?
- Do they work during the hours I am available to work on this? What is their process for helping clients and does it make sense to me?
- Does the consultant’s timeline for delivery fit my timeline?
- Will the consultant’s style of communication and project management be easy for me to participate and stay up-to-date with this project?
- Do I know anyone else that has worked with this consultant? Is there anyone who can advise me on their experience?
- If Mountain Association is not paying 100% of the cost, can I afford my share?
Read on if your project involves a website… otherwise you’re set!
You have decided that you need a new or updated website. Choosing a website consultant does not have to be a daunting process full of unknowns. It does require that you clearly understand what you want, when you want it, and to clearly communicate your expectations. If you are trying to find a good website consultant – follow this process and worksheet at the end, and you’ll be set!
1. Define your technology needs
Think about what you need your website to do.
Do you need a simple “billboard site” – a place with your basic information, description of services/products and contact information?
Or are you looking to build something with certain functionality (for example, an online store, a membership site, a booking system, a lead generator, etc.)? This step is critical because it decides what type of website consultant you’ll need to hire. There are 3 terms you need to understand:
- A pure web designer usually does not actually work with code, but will help you to determine the page layout, graphics, text location and colors of your site, as well as the navigation and how pages will cross-link to one another. Many web designers are also very comfortable with front-end web development.
- A front-end web developer is often hired by a web designer to implement a design. The front-end of a website is what the user sees & navigates. A front-end developer will know HTML / CSS and Javascript – and will be comfortable with “back-end” technologies.
- A back-end web developer handles more complex functionality involving databases, scripts and APIs – and generally making sure the computers are all talking to each other correctly. This level of expertise is only necessary for more complex websites.
You’ll likely hire someone who is an expert in one, is knowledgeable in another, and is familiar with the third. If you hire an agency, then they should have all three.
The main thing you need to think about is how much functionality your site needs. This will determine what type of website consultant you’ll need.
What To Consider
- What functionality do you want now?
- How do you want your website to grow?
- Do you need to edit and manage your site content frequently?
- Do your visitors need to work with the site at all (fill out forms, become a member, store data, make a purchase, etc.)?
What To Avoid
- Avoid working with a graphic designer who can make an attractive website but does not help you determine how your website fits into your overall business strategy. A good website consultant will be able to explain how you can get more traffic and sales from your website.
- Avoid working with a programmer only who does not have a visual eye or understand the brand elements of your business. While they can make a very effective website, it may not reflect your brand or provide an appealing style to your customer base.
2. Define your design needs
Think about how you want your website to look and feel. Consider your target customer. A big mistake is to design a website around what you like, instead of what your target customer likes.
The more specific you are about your design needs, the better product you’ll get. Here are some things to think about:
- Will you need custom photography? For instance, do you have products or a facility that will need to be photographed? Does your team have professional headshots?
- Will you write all the copy for your website, or do you need someone with experience in web copywriting? Some website consultants will offer this and some will not.
- Compile a list of websites that you like and don’t like, and make note of the specific things that appeal (or frustrate) you.
- Define what the overall feeling about your company that you want a visitor to your website to have (confidence, simplicity, creativity, etc.).
What To Consider
- The right web consultant will be able if certain features, looks, etc. are achievable.
- Look at a designer’s portfolio. Do they have samples that match the feeling you are hoping to achieve?
What To Avoid
- Avoid designers who can’t tell you how they’ll approach a design problem.
- Avoid designers who do not have a stated process. A written design process is best for you and them. Feedback stages can go on forever and make everyone frustrated.
3. Define your business needs
Determine what role your website will serve in your business. Some of this will go back to your design and technology needs, but it’s especially pressing to consider before you define your budget and scope. Think about how your business gets customers and how you do your marketing. Here are some things to think about:
- How will your website drive new leads from online visitors?
- Will it need to integrate with any business processes such as inventory, bookkeeping or order-taking? Do you want to move your business processes to the website via marketing/sales automation?
- Are there any existing software providers that you want to integrate with your website now or in the future?
What To Consider
- Think about both the near and medium term needs of your business.
- Think about the incremental value of your website – what number of leads could it drive? What is a new lead worth?
What To Avoid
- Avoid too much complexity – integrations and versatility make your website last.
- Avoid thinking of your website as a cost – it’s an investment.
- Avoid designers who do not work with integrations or cannot build out features that you need.
- Avoid designers who cannot make a business case for changing your existing business processes.
- Avoid designers who cannot explain how and why their approach will work through the medium term.
4. Define your budget and scope
Think about how much time you have to spend right now. Working with a website consultant to build your website will take some time on your part. You might need to write or approve content or have a brand photography session. You will certainly need to be prepared to spend time defining the specifics of what you offer.
Determine how much of your budget you are prepared to invest now and in the future. Your website is an investment, not a cost. If you approach it the same way you’d approach bulk-buying office pens, then you’re not going to get the result you want. It is also a living, breathing thing that will require ongoing maintenance either by you or someone you hire. It’s important to understand this from the beginning so that you are not surprised down the road with maintenance time and costs.
Remember it’s usually better to maximize your return rather than minimize your investment.
What To Consider
- Think about your existing cashflow situation. Consider the existing costs of having a poor or non-existent website.
- Write out features, functionality, and design choices that you’d prioritize if you need to make cuts.
- Decide how much maintenance your website will require once it is finished. For example, will you need to update prices weekly? Or do you expect everything to stay pretty much the same all the time? Even for a static website, you will need to do software updates and maintenance for security purposes. What your needs are here can help determine what platform your site is built in.
What To Avoid
- Avoid thinking about having a one and done project. Think about ongoing costs to either you, your staff or your designer.
- Avoid a website consultant who does not think past the “go live” date. You need someone who is willing to consider your ongoing maintenance needs, and will either design in a platform that makes this easy for you or will offer an ongoing maintenance package for you.
5. Choosing the right website consultant
If you’ve answered all the questions above, you will have a solid framework to help you choose the right person or agency for your project. Start your search by looking at the portfolios of the consultants you are considering and ask yourself these questions:
- Do I see websites in their portfolio similar to what my technology needs are?
- Do I see websites in their portfolio with the look and feel that I would like for my website?
Next, you will need to interview consultants and come prepared with these questions:
- What platforms do you design in and why?
- Do you offer ongoing maintenance for websites or will you train me how to do it?
- What is your design process (timeline, number of revisions, communication policy)?
- Can you incorporate the technologies that I need (examples: email marketing software, payment software, membership, etc.)?
- Can you accomplish all of my website goals within my budget?
- What outside costs can I expect and what do you provide as part of your services (copywriting, photography, hosting, etc.)?
6. Choosing the right website platform
Some website platforms excel at customization and others at ease of use. A good website consultant will be able to help you choose the right platform according to your ongoing needs. But it’s a good idea to come to the table with some knowledge of the different platforms:
WordPress
WordPress is the industry standard in website platforms and can do just about anything you want.
PROS:
- Can be customized as much as you want
- Very fast page-speed (if created correctly)
- Depending on the builder used, it can be somewhat easy to make minor changes
- Can support ecommerce
- Will integrate with most other software (like email providers, form builders, etc)
- Can implement aggressive SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
CONS:
- Some customization can require hiring a developer
- Software for your site has to be updated regularly
- You can “mess things up” by not fully understanding how WordPress works and making changes in the wrong place
Wix or Weebly
Wix and Weebly are good all-in-one platforms for simple websites that don’t need room to grow.
PROS:
- Very easy to manage yourself, you never have to worry about updating software
- The interface is drag-and-drop and changes are easy to make
CONS
- Page speed can be slower to load
- Not as much control for customizing
- Not all outside software will integrate
- Can’t take advantage of more aggressive SEO (search engine optimization) techniques.
- You could “outgrow” your site, especially if you decide you want to sell online or offer a membership site
Squarespace
This all-in-one builder has a focus on beautiful default designs with access to coding features. It also works well with simple ecommerce.
PROS:
- Beautiful, modern templates (however, they are all of a certain style, which if this is not your style, then this is a “con”)
- All-in-one platform that takes care of all the software updates for you
- Ability (with developer knowledge) to make customizations
CONS:
- Price is more expensive than other all-in-one platforms
- Can’t (easily) take advantage of more aggressive SEO (search engine optimization) techniques.
- Does not support third party apps and extensions, so integrations are limited to what they provide (unless you use a developer to write custom code for you)
- Builder not as simple to use as Wix or Weebly
Shopify
Shopify is 100% for ecommerce sites. If you have an online store, this is an option to consider.
PROS:
- Built in speed and security – Shopify is configured for the special needs of online stores and you don’t have to take care of these things yourself
- Great customer support
- Lots of beautiful themes out of the box, but also the ability to customize them
- Robust app store with specialized apps from developers that integrate seamlessly with Shopify
CONS:
- Price is higher on average, depending on the size of your store and custom apps installed.
- To customize their themes, you must become familiar with Liquid programming language.
- Blogging software is not as robust as WordPress. If you have a blog and sell something go with WordPress+WooCommerce. If you have an online store and occasionally blog as a marketing tool, Shopify will be fine.
- The platform’s user experience is a bit of a learning curve.
7. Being a good client
Even the best website designer cannot help a bad client.
What To Consider
- The website is going to be *yours* so you need to make sure you have all the information you need to make decisions.
- Make sure you get all the technical documentation, subscription information, and logins in your control. Avoid designers who will not turn over complete control of your site.
- Remember that a lot of design work depends on fast, accurate feedback.
- Budget for time but also for incidentals (i.e. photography) and technical issues.
What To Avoid
- Interrupting the project plan/micromanaging.
- Providing feedback at the wrong stage.
- Avoid verbal conversations without follow-up written documentation. Phone call notes are essential.
