Web Design: When to DIY and When to Hire

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AND WHEN TO HIRE: WEB DESIGN WHEN TO DIY

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@marktimemedia I Design & Build DIGITAL INTERFACES Rockstar at saying stuff. Carefully curated spontaneity. Adorable badass. Master suitcase packer & marshmallow roaster. Accidental fitness buff. HI, I’M MICHELLE.

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@marktimemedia WHY WE’RE HERE @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia WHY WORK WITH A PROFESSIONAL?

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@marktimemedia CAN DIY YOUR SITE when you

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@marktimemedia SHOULD SEEK HELP when you

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@marktimemedia CUSTOMIZATION @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia Flickr: Nick Sherman COMPLEXITY @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia KNOWLEDGE @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia MISSION CRITICAL @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia become an EXPERT WORDPRESS USER

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@marktimemedia BEFORE YOUR PROJECT STARTS

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@marktimemedia PROJECT DUE DILLIGENCE @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia WINS? what are your

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@marktimemedia DEFINE PROBLEMS PRESCRIBING SOLUTIONS without

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@marktimemedia BUSINESS DUE DILLIGENCE @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia FINALIZE INVOLVED who needs to be

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@marktimemedia PREPARE YOUR COMPANY for outside help

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@marktimemedia CHOOSING A PROFESSIONAL

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@marktimemedia FREELANCER? CONTRACTOR? TEAM? AGENCY? @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia FREELANCER/INDEPENDENT • Could be a specialist or a generalist • Works on their own time/equipment • Self-managed • Managing multiple clients • Communicates directly with you, on their schedule • Rates vary based on experience

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@marktimemedia CONTRACTOR • Often specialized • Works onsite for pre-determined time alongside you or your team • Requires proper equipment while onsite • Needs to be managed • 100% dedicated to you while on-site • Rates vary based on experience

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@marktimemedia TEAM/AGENCY • Group of independents or full-service agency • Combination of experiences and skillsets • More resources & flexibility • Can often manage multiple parts of a project • Communicating with account or project managers whose job it is to interface with clients • More expensive

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@marktimemedia DEMYSTIFYING JOB TITLES @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia WORDPRESS DESIGNER • Usually: Aesthetics, interface, experience • Sometimes: Theme development, frontend markup/styling languages and/or Javascript, other design field experience • Related: UI/UX Designer, Theme Designer Choose this person if: Your project requires a very strong visual language

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@marktimemedia WORDPRESS DEVELOPER • Usually: Interactive/programming logic • Sometimes: Design/Styling experience, appliction/integration experience, other programming languages • Related: Frontend Developer, Backend Developer, Theme Developer, Plugin developer Choose this person if: Your project has complex functionality or integration requirements

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@marktimemedia WORDPRESS IMPLEMENTOR • Usually: Combines existing solutions to solve problems • Sometimes: development experience, design experience, content writing experience • Related: Integrator, Consultant Choose this person if: You want to build your project out of recommended existing solutions but aren’t sure where to look

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@marktimemedia SEO CONSULTANT • Usually: Recommending, optimizing, implementing and tracking SEO efforts • Sometimes: development experience, design experience, content writing experience, social media strategy, external campaigns • Related: SEO Strategist, Search Engine Marketer Choose this person if: You have an existing site or are in the process of redeveloping a site

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@marktimemedia WORDPRESS EXPERT Usually: means objectively nothing!

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@marktimemedia DON’T FORGET THE REST! CONTENT: Writers, Photographers, Animators, Videographers OUTREACH: Email campaigns, social campaigns, Newsletters, Marketing ONGOING: Security, maintenance

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@marktimemedia WHO TO HIRE? @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia LARGER PROJECT: TEAM MULTIPLE SKILL SETS

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@marktimemedia SMALLER PROJECT: INDIVIDUAL SPECIALIZED SKILL SET

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@marktimemedia MULTIPLE INDEPENDENTS a note on

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@marktimemedia LET’S TALK ABOUT MONEY

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@marktimemedia WE NEED TO KNOW YOUR BUDGET @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia PAYMENT TERMS • Hourly: exploratory work, billed after a set amount of time • Flat Fee: charged in increments including up-front deposit, final payment before product is delivered • Retainer: pay in advance on a schedule for ongoing work

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@marktimemedia EVALUATING BIDS @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia TYPE OF SITE COST does not determine

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@marktimemedia INFLUENCING PRICE • Four Factors (Customization, Complexity, Knowledge, Mission Critical) • Size/Scale/Scope • Timing & Availability • Cost of Doing Business • Value of Final Product • Difficulty/Ease of Working With YOU

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@marktimemedia ASK QUESTIONS @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia BID COSTS FINAL are not always @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia A QUOTE IS LIKE A HOME INSPECTION @marktimemedia

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@marktimemedia GIVING QUALITY FEEDBACK

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@marktimemedia DESIGN FEEDBACK Start with evaluating look and feel Evaluating design as a series of increasingly specific systems/rules Evaluate clarity and communication Remember it’s for your audience, not for you Be specific! Ask questions! Good designers can always answer “why?”

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@marktimemedia DEVELOPMENT FEEDBACK Focus on “how it works.” Evaluate cross-platform usability and consistency of experience rather than pixel perfection Explain what you expect to happen in addition to what is actually happening Be specific! Ask questions! Good developers can always answer “why?”

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@marktimemedia RESOURCES http://marktimemedia.com/category/clients

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@marktimemedia RESOURCES http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/06/following-a-web-design-process/ http://thewc.co/articles/view/web-development-process-start-to-finish Mike Monteiro: You’re My Favorite Client

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@marktimemedia QUESTIONS? Here’s how to get in touch: Michelle Schulp [email protected] @marktimemedia bit.ly/diy-vs-hire ITHEMES WEBINAR SERIES: Web Design Bootcamp – March 26 & 27 WHERE TO FIND ME NEXT: