Aside from choosing a web designer whose work you like, make sure you select someone you like and can work with, who will provide you with the requirements to create a successful website. They should be honest, ethical, and truthful about what they provide and are crystal clear on their pricing.
Hidden costs
What most web designers won’t tell you about upfront are the hidden costs after your site is launched.
They’re usually all the important elements involved in maintaining, controlling and updating your website.
One of the primary ways hackers gain access to a site is through outdated software.
As security patches are released, hackers will try to take advantage of sites that aren’t proactive in applying software updates. The last thing you as a website owner want is for visitors to your site to become infected by malicious software distributed from your site. Most importantly, if Google detects malware on your site, it will be delisted until you get it fixed and the SEO penalties can be tremendous, lasting for many months.
Ownership and responsibility
Before considering what to do with your site after launch, it is important to establish demarcation boundaries of responsibility. Know who’s in charge of what.
Who owns your website?
- Do you/your company or your web designer own the design and the content?
- Find out the details and be satisfied with the response, otherwise you may end up having to look elsewhere.
Who owns your domain?
- Do you/your company or your web designer own the domain?
- If it’s you/your company, is this written in your contract agreement?
Where is your site hosted?
- If your web designer does this, it isn’t a problem.
- However, you should ensure you have access to the site in order to make your own content updates.
Always make sure your site is hosted on the best platform money can buy, suited to the needs of the website. Your designer/developer should be able to advise and you should always aim for hosting in the country in which you do business so that the hosting company is governed by the same set of laws as you are.
Hidden building costs
Imagine you’ve bought a new house. When you buy the house, you are purchasing the structure and the land as is.
The seller won’t be furnishing you with the household appliances you need unless they’re included in the contract. Nobody else will pay your Council Tax, nor will anyone else pay for garden landscaping.
It’s the same with websites. Ensure that you know what software requires licensing and payment to a third party, if any. It’s not the job of your web designer/developer to supply you with the software if it requires third party licensing, so make sure it is clear whose responsibility payment and licensing are.
It is absolutely essential to schedule regular software updates, as well as security checks to identify and maintain site integrity.
One of the most critical components in any successful website strategy is ongoing maintenance. The initial site build creates the right foundation, while ongoing maintenance is where you’ll be able to grow your website. That is where you’ll really start to maximise the return on your investment, which is, at the end of the day, the object of the exercise.
The key to successful maintenance is a proper after care package. Additional hidden costs can easily mount up, but a packaged ongoing subscription that works like an insurance policy is just what is needed.
Software updates
I’ll say it again, as it is so important: if you’re using a content management system (and you really should be), it is vitally important to keep the software updated. Security patches and bug fixes are constantly being released and your software should be kept up-to-date all the time. You don’t need to be running an e-commerce site for hackers to want to try breaking in and uploading Trojans and malware.
Don’t become a statistic. Invest in a Care Plan today!
Edward Solomon has over 30 years’ experience in project management, technical education, computer networking, web design and development and is a Digital Business Consultant for PENNInk Productions Ltd.
