Hire a webmaster? Follow these rules:

A common frustration they tell me is they don’t have a handle on their website in part because they have a difficult time getting in touch with their webmaster, and have no idea how to update their sites on their own. Does this sound familiar to you?
First, make sure you have the keys to your website. You have to be in complete control of your website, even if you hire someone to do the design and upkeep.

This means you have to be the one that registers the domain name and establishes a hosting account.

Why?

Because that way you can fire your webmaster and hire somebody different without the pain and frustration of trying to pry your website files, usernames and passwords out of the fingers of the person you just fired. Transferring a website is not overly difficult, but there are typically downtimes and room for errors that you shouldn’t have to deal with.

I suggest that you register your domain name at my service, which is a private label of GoDaddy. But you should host your website somewhere else for cost/security/peace-of-mind reasons we don’t need to get into here.

I recommend Kiosk hosting for script-intensive websites, and Hostgator for basic blog and brochure type sites or mini-sites (be sure to snag their coupon code on the homepage). The simplest plan of either service is fine to start with, and scale up as your needs grow. If you need visual help in doing this step, check out my free First Website Tutorial site.

Second, you should get an understanding of the basics of website management. This means learning how to upload files, how to go in and make simple changes, and how to set up certain features of a website (like 404 error pages, email accounts, or simple file & folder name redirects).

You can learn how to do this in a couple hours from the videos Chris Morris and I made at DiscovercPanel.com for less money than 1 hour of your webmaster’s design and update time. You’ll be amazed at how simple these website management skills are, and how much you will likely be overcharged for them by a webmaster!

Third, you should make your first website a blog. Even if you don’t plan on doing any real ongoing updates, using the WordPress platform for your website makesit even easier to update the way your website looks without going to Geek School.

Personally, I prefer to use the blogging service Blogi360 to run my blog (think WordPress on steroids) because of it’s publishing power for extra traffic, tech support team already in place, and they fiddle with all the plugins and theme installs so I don’t have to. Whether you use basic WordPress or Blogi360, though, if you can use yourmouse and keyboard, you can update your website pretty easily. (See the free audio training at UnstoppableBlogging.com for strategies in this area).

Fourth, if you do hire a webmaster and/or designer, don’t hire someone solely based on cost. Check out their portfolio, communicate with their references, and be very specific about what your needs are and your timeline for completion. Remember, the phrase “You get what you pay for” is typically true when it comes to webmasters, although it’s also easy for you to be overcharged if you don’t have a clue about what you’re asking about.

Ultimately, you should spend your time doing what you do best - that’s where the real money is made in any business. But by knowing a few of the basics of website management, you can avoid being held hostage and feel confident that your website will be working for you and not against you.