Web Diva Wisdom

The information is useful to anyone working with a professional web designer. In the end, you will:

• Control the project cost and schedule.
• Reduce errors.
• Avoid rework.
• Minimize your frustration.
• Shorten the timeline to launch your website.
• Create the best possible website to meet your goals of budget, timeline, and functionality.

The material is organized in standalone sections. You can read the entire book now and get value from it, and it can also be relevant as a step-by-step resource to be read in sections based on where you are in the process. Reading this book will give you the tools to get the most out of a working relationship with your web designer so you can create the best website possible for your needs.

Everything you need to know about working with a web designer, in the order you need to know it

Web Diva® Wisdom: How to Find, Hire, and Partner with the Right Web Designer for You should be an essential reference for anyone working with—or planning to hire—a web designer. It provides basic guidance for the newcomer embarking on the process for the first time, as well as offering lessons and process improvements for those already working with a web designer.

Whether you are ready to partner with a web designer for a new website, a redesign project, or major updates to an existing website, you’ll find helpful guidelines, tips, and best practices.

As a client, you are ultimately the creator and owner of your website. When you don’t collaborate with your web designer and actively participate in the process, you won’t end up with the website of your dreams.

Hiring someone to design your website should not be a one-time, short-term project but rather the start of a long—and hopefully productive and successful—business partnership. Let this book be your guide to getting the most out of your relationship with your current or future web designer.

---

Table of Contents

Introduction

How This Book Is Organized

• Vocabulary
• The Plan of Attack

Part 1: Building Blocks
Understand where you are in the website lifecycle. Know the basic building blocks of any website.

• Web Designers and Developers
• Website Mechanical Components
• Log-Ins and Passwords

Part 2: Do Your Homework
Pinpoint budget and timeline constraints. Do your pre-work by gathering information, conducting competitive analysis, identifying your audience, and drafting a marketing plan.

• Website Prework
• Competitive Analysis
• Timeline
• Pricing
• Budget

Part 3: Discovery
Search for qualified candidate web designers that fit your requirements. Initiate contact, complete the investigation and proposal process, and check references.

• Finding Qualified Web Designers
• Evaluating and Approaching Web Designers
• Interviews
• Proposals and References

Part 4: Development
Hire your designer and build a working relationship of open and honest communication, trust, respect, delegation, and partnership. Design and build your website, understand the creative process, and actively participate in iterative development and refinement.

• Web Designer = Business Partner
• Communication and Feedback
• Payment
• The Implementation Process
• Content
• Images

Part 5: Delivery
Launch and announce your website. Keep your website current in both content and presentation. Know the options if your website designer relationship status changes.,

• Launch
• Maintenance and Beyond
• Changing Situations

---

Reviews

I especially liked the pros and cons/dos and don’ts in each section and the thought provoking questions listed for owners to ask themselves as they are going through the process. I purchased the book for the Kindle, but Web Diva Wisdom is one book I wish I would have purchased in paper format because of all the exercises and checklists provided. It is one of those reference type books you want to have in your library to refer to again and again.

---

As the co-owner of a small business we, like others, knew we needed a good website. So off we went-blind! Seven years later and a little brighter, our website was in drastic need of updating. We spent a year viewing websites from all over the globe, eye-opening for sure. Then we found Web Diva Wisdom. It’s an easy read with the best exercises to focus on what’s important to your business when it comes to building a website. After reading this book, we were able to articulate what we wanted efficiently with more direction at less cost. This book is an invaluable resource for any business owner/individual considering a new website or redesign of their current site. You’ll get the best results when you follow Web Diva Wisdom!

---

Wow — this is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’ve got several ideas for websites and really had no idea where to start. The classic “I didn’t know what I didn’t know”. This book not only provided the overview I needed, but also got into specifics as to how organize my own thinking and prepare for interviews with potential Web Design partners. I found the checklists and real-life examples to be very helpful. Well written, well organized and, well, really helpful.

---

This book is such a great source of information! I’m the Development Director for a non-profit organization. We rely heavily on our website to spread the word about our services, and to solicit donations – so it’s an important aspect of our marketing. We have a volunteer managing our website, but we have to provide the content and direction. There were a lot of great tips in the book about ways to be more concise, creative and direct while working with your web designer. There are also points regarding making the volunteer’s time more efficient — and to make her feel more appreciated!

---

As the CEO and founder of a marketing agency, part of the work we do is website design and development. Some of our smaller startups are not always super experienced about how to work with a web designer or marketing agency. There are a lot of tips in this book that could really help our clients do a better job of providing the information needed to complete their project efficiently – which ultimately saves our clients time and money. I can’t imagine a startup that doesn’t want that outcome! In fact, I think we should provide a copy of this book to all new clients, to get them started on the right foot.

---

Web Diva Wisdom is an invaluable resource if you are looking to set up a new website or wanting to update your current one. Its comprehensive checklists (in the form of exercises) and strategies for managing the process to choose a web designer are written in easy-to-understand language. This book makes a potentially complicated process a simple one. I also highly recommend following the author’s blog to keep up on the latest in web design and development.

---

In the past, I have had my own jewelry business, so I know the importance of a website. This book is well written in a way that even a very non-technical person could understand. Because of this, I purchased several copies of this book to give to friends as I thought it would be really useful for them in managing their own businesses. It would be a great gift for a self-employed person. I give this book my highest recommendation.

---

My colleague and I were forming a local nonprofit and developing our website was a top priority. I was familiar with Lisa Stambaugh’s expertise as a web designer given the number of sites she created for many businesses and organizations in my region of the Bay Area. When I scheduled an appointment to discuss our website needs, Lisa suggested that we read and use her recently published book, “Web Diva Wisdom.” We did so and are absolutely thrilled with our beautiful website.

My colleague and I did our homework — Part 2 in the book — which proved invaluable in focusing clearly on: 1) our identity as a nonprofit organization; 2) conveying consistency in tone and content throughout our website; 3) creating a nicely ordered, uncluttered design that is user friendly; 4) saving time and frustration; and 5) saving time and frustration . . . this bears repeating. Completing our work before the first consultation with Lisa streamlined the entire web design process. Case in point: We first met with Lisa on June 21st and less than 2 weeks later (12 days to be precise) our website launched! We have an easy-to-navigate site for our audience — primarily high school students and their parents–and we have design infrastructure in place, ready to load page content when the time comes. The book is a quick, easy, read, filled with very helpful tips, examples, and essential exercises. I highly recommend this book for anyone thinking about “getting” a website or revamping an existing one. Reading and completing the exercises in “Web Diva Wisdom” would be time very well spent!

---

I read this book cover to cover. It was easy to understand, confirmed some of the knowledge I already had, and gave me new insights on what I didn’t know earlier. I recommend it!