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What
Questions Should You Ask a Potential Webmaster?
By
Bart Smith, TheMarketingMan.com
| 806 Words | Published 06/21/2007
 Wow,
what DO you ask a potential webmaster? NOT knowing can lead
to money down the drain, headaches and worse, your web site
being hijacked in the end ... When dealing with webmasters,
communication is your greatest asset when it comes to getting
what you want done ... the way you want it!
Well,
here are several important questions to ask any potential webmaster
...
"Hi,
I'm looking to hire someone to help me build a web
site, are you available to take my call about that?"
You'd be surprised how an innocent
question like that opens up the door to a wonderful
conversation between you and a potential webmaster.
Can
I see some of the work that you've done?
If
they don't have any sample client sites, ask if
they have anything else significant and worthy to
show you that's web-related. Or, consider going
elsewhere to someone who can show you some of their
work. Tip: It's not wise to go with someone who
can't prove they know what they're doing, if they
have nothing to show for it. Even a new webmaster
to the trade can whip up a few sample web sites
to give prospective clients a look at their work.
What
shopping
cart system do you recommend your clients use?
If a webmaster doesn't recommend a shopping cart system,
then, recommend MyMarketingCart.com.
MyMarketingCart has all the shopping cart, newsletter,
digital download, affiliate program, ad tracking,
eZine sending features you need on your web site.
If they recommend a shopping cart system outside MyMarketingCart.com,
then ask them if the shopping cart system has a "built-in"
affiliate program, "built-in" autoresponders
and a "built-in" database to send out eZines
and eMail broadcast messages. If the shopping cart
system doesn't have these items "built-in",
then you don't want their shopping cart. You'll want
THEM to learn about MyMarketingCart.com.
Do
you know how to build membership subscription web sites?
If they don't, please call TheMarketingMan.com
to the rescue. You don't want to get thousands of dollars
into a project, only to find out, the webmaster bit
off more than they could chew!
How
do you take payment? Check? Credit
card (which ones)? PayPal? If YOU don't already have
a PayPal.com account, you should get
one! You can easily pay your webmaster through
PayPal. And, many times, they prefer it. Why? It's
online, it's quick and simple. All you need is an
eMail address. Learn more about PayPal.com by checking
out our tutorial LearnPayPal.com.
Do
you require a down-payment to get
started and how much is that? Typically, if the project
is priced under $1,000, usually half of the total
project price is acceptable, or even a few hundred
dollars. If the project is priced over $1,000, then
you can typically expect to pay $500-$1,000 down to
get the project started. Then, you might ask if you
can pay in increments as the work gets done. This
way, you aren't stuck with a huge bill 4-6 weeks down
the road, and the webmaster isn't stuck working on
your site without money to pay his/her own bills.
When you pay in weekly/bi-weekly installments, it's
easier on your bank account and the webmaster has
incentive to keep working and making you (the client)
happy!
Are
you working on any other (web site) projects right
now? Asking
a question like this forces them to respond with,
"Yes, I current have X-number of projects I'm
currently working on. I could start on your project
in the next few weeks/months, etc." Or, "I'm
just finishing up one/two/three projects right now
and I'm ready for a new one. I'm glad you called."
Or, "I'm currently wide open for taking on new
projects. I'm glad you called! When would you like
to start?" It's always nice to know "where
you'll fit in" to their schedule.
Do
you really think you have time for me? Should you refer
me to someone else? Maybe the webmaster
wants to take the project on (because they need the
money), but really "shouldn't" because of
their current work load and won't tell you. Hmm, best
to read between the lines if (1) they don't return your
initial phone calls or eMails right away or (2) they
accept your money but don't start the proejct right
away. In any case, it's better to back out early and
either look for another "available" webmaster
or wait until they're more available to work with you.
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Knowing
specifically what to ask a potential webmaster can help you
save time, money, and even your cool when things don't go right!!!
Bart
Smith, TheMarketingMan.com, is the founder of MyMarketingCart.com,
which offers shopping carts and other Internet marketing tools
and services to small and large businesses; and MyPaymentServices.com,
which offers merchant accounts and the ability to accept credit
card payments from your customers. Bart is also the creator of
MyTrainingCenter.com,
an online learning resource which offers extensive written, audio
and video tutorials for computers, business, marketing, speaking,
web design and creating information products. Bart also created
ReallyCheapNames.com,
where you can register domain names for "really cheap"
and find web site hosting at extremely low prices. Author
of four self-help books,
totaling more than 1,000 pages, Mr. Smith dedicates himself to
helping others, personally and professionally, wherever he goes.
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