How to Identify and Qualify Core Talent for Your Small Business Website.

In my last article: “WordPress: Exposing the Hidden Costs of Free“, I suggested that most small businesses grossly underestimate how much time and money is required to launch and maintain a successful WordPress website (or any website for that matter). Now we understand, that in most cases, human capital is by far the largest “hidden cost”— whether you use WordPress or not.

Every website consists of 3 basic components: 1) Content; 2) Design; and 3) Technology. Simply put, Content is your text, videos, podcasts, etc.; Design, is all about aesthetics and usability; and Technology is what makes it all work.

So, at a basic level, every website requires the skills and talents of a Copywriter; a Web Designer; and a Web Developer. If you, as the manager and/or owner of the website do not have such competencies, or feel your time is better spent elsewhere, you will need help.

For large, enterprise-level websites (e.g., Apple, ExxonMobil, Ford, GE, etc.), a much larger team consisting of team leaders and subspecialists will be required… but that’s beyond the scope of this article.

I should also point out that there is a very important component not mentioned above— Site Promotion. I’ll address that one in the near future.

How to Identify Core Talent

If you want to build a new office building (or modify an existing one), you hire an architect— a highly skilled professional who can provide strategic advice; guide you through the design process; visualize your ideas, and theirs, on paper. From those “blueprints”, you will have a clearer picture of what and who will be needed to create and maintain the structure. And so it is with your website. In most cases, your “architect” will be an experienced Web Designer.

The best place to start your search for a Web Designer is with your colleagues. Have any of them worked with a few they can confidently recommend? If not, try searching LinkedIn for web designers in your area.

Perhaps you’ll find a few that are 2nd degree contacts (indirectly connected to you through one of your connections). And of course, you can find web designers using a search engine such as Google, but qualifying them will be more of a challenge.

How To Qualify Core Talent

Whether you are seeking full-time, contract, or freelance help, be prepared. Review their resumes on LinkedIn. Visit their websites. Review their portfolios. Review their client list. Read/subscribe to their blog feeds. Follow them on Twitter. And so on. And then, be prepared to ask a lot of questions. Examples:

• How long have you been writing for/designing/developing websites?
• What are your primary specialities and sub-specialties?
• What sort of training do you have?
• Are you a full-time freelancer/contractor?
• How long have you been in business?
• What specifically did you do on “these” portfolio samples?
• Can you tell me a little about your process?
• Do you rely on third-party templates?
• How do you charge for your services? By project? Hourly?
• Etc.

In my next article, I’ll explain why it’s so difficult to get a straight answer when trying to determine how much your website will cost.

Tommy Oddo is a web designer and digital artist who lives in Austin, Texas. Entrepreneurs, marketers, and in-house teams hire him to make their websites and digital products more engaging and easier to use. Follow him on: Linkedin, Quora, Twitter, and Facebook. Subscribe to future articles via RSS and/or Email.