3 “Secret Questions” to Ask a Website Developer

Do you know the three secret questions to ask a website developer if you’re in the process of updating your website (or possibly building one for the first time)?

Most people looking for a website developer fall into a trap — they ask to see the website developer’s portfolio. They might even mistakenly believe that they’re looking for a website “designer”.

But that’s the dumbest thing a business owner could do.

Why? Because designs are easy, and most of the time, the website developer is going to work off of a template that’s close to what the business owner wants, anyway. The real key is to find an Internet Marketer, and I’m going to tell you how to do that.

Here are the three “secret questions” which will reveal whether or not the website developer you’re considering is actually an Internet Marketer with your best interests in mind:

1. Question: Will I own my website outright, or will certain features stop working if I end our relationship?

   It’s common practice for some website companies to offer a “too good to be true price” only to lock you in to subpar customer service once you sign-on with them. One of the ways these unscrupulous website companies work is to “cripple” certain functionality on your website if you decide to leave them. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is – nobody can build a sustainable business by selling cheap websites. Instead, choose a company you can trust that offers a fair price.

2. Question: Will my website and blog articles be custom written for me, or will I find the same content on other websites you manage?

   Everyone wants their website to rank prominently and show-up on the search engines. Following Google’s “Best Practice” recommendations for search engine ranking is a “no-brainer” therefore. In their recommendations, Google specifically frowns on website content that’s copied from some other website, stressing the importance of delivering fresh, relevant content to readers instead. That’s why you should never, ever, publish content on your website or blog that appears on another website. And yet, many website companies will provide “boilerplate” content and blog articles for their customers’ websites, instead of developing fresh, relevant content like they should. Instead, choose a company that puts you first.

3. Question: Will my website list all the things that we do, or will it explain who we serve and the benefits of partnering with us?

   Let’s face it: nobody really cares about all the things you can do — they care about what you can do for them. So don’t make the same mistake everyone else makes. Instead of developing a website that’s all about you and your company, develop one that’s all about your customers and how you will help them — that’s what people care about. Don’t talk about the services you provide; talk about the benefits. Choose a website developer that understands your vertical market and knows how to communicate your unique story and value proposition to your audience.

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