If you want a way to fast track your web project and get a professional, profitable website on the web quickly, then you should consider the tips I’m about to share with you.
I’m certain that as soon as I tell you how to do this, many of you will see a big red flag pop up and your internal alarm system will be screaming, “Caution…this idea will cost money” and your alarm system will be right…it does require you to pull out your wallet.
But just for the moment, let’s pretend that money isn’t an issue. Let’s just focus on the objective, and that’s getting a site live which generates revenue as quickly as we can.
I’ve been doing this since 2002, and the best way to fast track a project is through the judicious use of outsourcing services.
You Outsource Every Day Of Your Life
Think about it for a minute. We outsource all kinds of things everyday of our lives. You’d have to go back to pioneer days to find a family that was completely self sufficient. They grew their own food, built their own homes and made their own clothes. They had the skills, tools and time to do the tasks that allowed them to subsist.
Fast forward to today and most of us find ourselves without the skills, tools and time to do much more than the job we work full-time. We are not generalists – we are specialists, and our goal is not to just subsist but to grow and prosper. I don’t have the skill set to service a car, so if I need repairs, I’ll hire a mechanic. If I have a plumbing problem that can’t be fixed with a plunger, I’ll call a plumber who has the snake and other tools needed to do the job right. And I certainly don’t have the time to grow my own food, because I need something on the table now, not in six months. So I “outsource” my need for veggies and meat by shopping at the grocers.
Could I learn how to do all of this stuff myself? Maybe. But even if I could, it would take all of my time and my business, my livelihood, would go right down the drain.
Real Life Example of Outsource Decision Making
Let’s see how this outsourcing idea can work for your website and make you successful. The best way to do that is to share with you how my wife Arlene put together her website, EpilepsyMom.com.
Arlene’s experience with internet marketing was pretty much limited to writing articles for some of my projects. That made her the perfect guinea pig and allowed me to walk her step by step through the process of developing a successful website in one of my bootcamps. She knew what she wanted out of her own website, so she set out to create a blueprint for the format and features that would be included.
When Arlene completed her “website blueprint”, it became obvious that there were certain key elements that she just didn’t have the skill to do. She wanted a custom header graphic, an audio file embedded on the home page, the ability to post her podcasts, and a nice “cover” for the free report she was offering. In addition, the site was going to require way more content than she originally planned.
Freelancers to the Rescue
What to do? She could take the time to try and learn the skill sets she needed to accomplish the technical tasks, or she could have a professional do it for her. She decided to outsource those functions, and she has never regretted it.
You can literally outsource any part of a website’s design, development, or content. Graphics are always a challenge, and you can find a freelancer for simple tasks like doing a photo retouch, cover art and logo. Banners, headers, moving websites to different hosting services, and email campaigns all can be done through outsourcing.
It doesn’t end there. You can outsource almost everything. Bookkeeping, software programming, data entry, clerical work, and word processing. You are only limited by your imagination.
Where do you find these professionals, and how do you contact them? You can do a Google search or there are a number of outsourcing sites that cater to all kinds freelancers. Elance.com and vWorker.com are two of my favorites. Not only do they both attract quality freelancers, but their platforms give the buyer excellent control tools as well.
There’s an art to outsourcing successfully and getting exactly what you want.
10 Tips For Successful Outsourcing
- Don’t Assume It’ll Be Expensive – Don’t assume that outsourcing will cost more than you can afford. Think for a moment about how much it will cost you if you don’t outsource. Time lost on a project translates to revenue opportunity lost.
- Provide A Detailed Project Description – Know exactly what you want and be able to reduce it to a job description. The better informed the freelancer is, the better the results.
- Use Escrow & Milestones – Use escrow and milestones to protect your investment and to monitor progress. With escrow you don’t pay until you are satisfied with the results. Establishing milestones keeps you in the loop of the progress of a project.
- Evaluate Feedback – When evaluating bids, pay careful attention to the feedback that each bidder has received from previous buyers. Look to see how much repeat business they have. Avoid providers who have no feedback on their jobs.
- Negotiate Fees – If you find somebody you really like but their price is more than you can afford, negotiate.
- Respond Quickly – If your provider has questions and sends you messages, respond to them quickly. The better the communication the better the product.
- Pay Promptly – Everybody likes to get paid on time. Nobody likes to have to ask for payment. Remember that the provider can leave feedback on you as a buyer.
- Stay In The System – Occasionally, you will run into a provider who will want to take the project off the freelance site and work directly with you. They can offer a discount on their price because they won’t have to pay the site a commission on their work. Don’t do it. Not only is it a violation of most sites’ TOS, but you lose the protection of escrow.
- Develop Relationships – When you find a provider who consistently delivers quality work, build a relationship. Make sure you invite him or her for your future projects. You can build a mini technical team or stable of writers that are familiar with your requirements and can deliver good stuff on time.
- Build Your Feedback – Always ask for feedback from the provider. Getting positive feedback from a provider helps your brand and will attract the better providers to bid on future projects.
Now you know how to fast track your project and not be stymied by challenges you don’t know how to handle. Outsourcing will give you a professional edge and not only will it not be as expensive as you think, it will actually help you make money faster than you planned. Do it right and you’re on the way to a highly successful site.
Over to You
I am sure many of you have outsourced a variety of tasks. Others maybe considering doing so, but have been a little hesitant. Either way, let’s share our experiences and ideas in the comments.