Outsourcing 101: Web Work

If there’s one aspect of my business that I am so eternally grateful that I outsourced, it has to be my web development work and updates. I’ve found that most entrepreneurs are not naturally tech savvy and code happy, unless that’s their business.

So why do so many entrepreneurs struggle to create, promote, and manage their websites when there are so many ways to outsource it?

The top reason is of course we think it’s too expensive to get support. Often we think of the hourly rate of a web developer (someone who is coding and creating new sites) is the same as someone who can update your site (adding content on the blog, updating a contact page, approving spam). Another reason is that we don’t understand how to ask for support, so we don’t know who to hire. 

There’s a big difference between using standard solutions like WordPress templates and just adding content and creating custom work. You’ll want to ask lots of question and, if this is a weak area for you, make sure you can communicate well with the person you hire.

If coding and website work is not your unique ability, then you could be wasting valuable time trying to figure it out on your own. Time that would be better spent talking to leads, serving ideal clients, and creating new content.

What does it look like to outsource web work?

At the very basic level it means that you can focus on writing copy or blog posts and hand it off to a HTML savvy assistant to queue on the website and make it look good. When you get more advanced it means creating web pages, sales funnels (linking a sales page to your shopping cart, thank you page, and upsell offers), and doing custom design work.

Some entrepreneurs only think of hiring out web work when it comes to creating a new website but there are other ways that web savvy assistants can bring value to your business.

*Making sure the site is up to date, backed up regularly and functioning smoothly
*Creating additional resources like custom landing pages that have been on your to do list for ages
*Trouble shooting issues so broken links and missing code doesn’t ruin your day and hold back your business

How would you get started outsourcing web related tasks?

As with most tasks, our first suggestion is to create a list of the things you’re doing on a regular basis that suck up your time and creative energy. This could be editing videos or fixing website headers, you might spend too much time creating the perfect SEO title or searching for images and plugins. Once you have that list, then you can determine the hours, frequency of support needed, and skill set of your ideal assistant.

If you’re struggling to hire out this position, be sure to grab my 5 Ways to Find Fabulous Help for Your Online Business in the Success Toolkit at the top of the page – it’ll walk you through our hiring process for any position that you need filled.

Outsourcing these tasks are a little more complex than standard admin work because in most cases you’re relying on the assistant to be the expert. As as result, expect to pay more and request that your team member document their tasks. Often when you hire a new technical assistant for your website or software configuration, you’ll pay for a good chunk of time for the new person to figure out what the old assistant did (or didn’t do) and then to fix it.

However, if you’re running an online business, the success of your business depends on being online and having these assets work properly. If you’re not naturally tech savvy then hiring someone for this position can give you more time and energy to work on the aspects of your business you love while knowing that everything is handled.