7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Fitness Website Designer
You're ready for a new website. Whether you’re trying to make it easy for clients to book online or you’re just ready to have your virtual space look as good as your in-person one, there’s one thing you’re probably going to want — a fitness website designer to build it!
In your search for a fitness website designer you’ll quickly realize there are plenty of great web designers out there. This means it’s easy to get overwhelmed sorting through all the options.
Finding the right match is more than possible, but as part of the process expect to speak to different website designers to see who will be the best fit.
To help you ensure you get your ideal match for your fitness website project, here are seven questions you should be asking when hiring a fitness website designer.
#1. Can this person represent me well?
Fitness website designers have different styles in the work they create. You’ll want to take a good look at their online portfolio and make sure you like what you see.
Does all their work look templated and generic, or are they able to adapt creatively to bring the unique brand to life? In addition to seeing if your vision matches their style, be sure to browse any testimonials to get a peek into their workflow and communication style.
#2. Does this person have a branding or general graphic design background?
There are a lot of different skill set combos out there. For example, not all web developers have design skills and not all graphic designers also do websites.
Your goal is to find a fitness website designer who has an eye for design AND understands how your brand can translate to the digital space. It’ll keep your brand looking cohesive and will streamline your design needs for the future of your business.
#3. How much maintenance will be required post-launch?
Some website platforms need you to be on top of updating software–regularly. If you get behind on maintenance you may find yourself open to security holes and regular tech troubleshooting.
Find out what regular maintenance will need to be done on your new site, and if the fitness website designer offers those additional services. This is one of the best things about having your site on the Squarespace platform.
For more on why I recommend Squarespace to studio owners, take a look at this post.
#4. Will this person be available post-launch?
During consult calls, I often hear from studio owners that the person who designed or developed their existing website is no longer responding to their emails. This is often the case if the fitness website designer is creating websites as a side-gig. There can be many reasons for this, but the bottom line is that this can be a big problem.
This is one of the reasons why I like the Squarespace platform and include training time in all my projects — so you, as the business owner, can feel confident making basic changes to your own website. While ongoing support is rarely included in website project scopes, you will want to ask how the fitness website designer handles future needs.
#5. How much training is provided with your website design package?
Fact: a website is never really done. You’ll grow programs (2020 made this painfully obvious!), change staff and run promotions and you won't want to be tied to a website designer to have every little change made.
You’ll need someone on your staff that knows how to do basic things with your studio’s website. Choose a designer that understands this and is willing to provide resources for training your team.
#6. Does the designer understand your industry and how your website will work with your scheduling software?
Whether you use Mindbody, Mariana Tek, Walla or another scheduling software, you’ll want to make sure your website seamlessly integrates with your studio operations. This is the key to building a website that actually works with your business operations, not adding more work for you and your team.
Finding a fitness website designer that is already familiar with the systems you use to run your business will make your web design project quick, painless and even fun!
#7. Does this person have a good reputation?
While looking at a portfolio is one step of the hiring process, it’s also important to do a bit of research regarding your potential fitness website designer’s reputation.
Start by checking out their online reviews to see what clients have to say about them. What do people have to say about their work style? Their communication? Their attention to detail and deadlines?
These are all things that can affect the outcome of your project, so doing your due diligence is worth the effort.
Ready to Hire a Fitness Website Designer?
By planning ahead with some questions to ask prospective fitness website designers and doing a little research before jumping in head first, you’re that much more likely to find someone who is the ideal fit to work with your business.
Here at Pixality, I’ve got all these things (and more!) covered. I’ve worked with over 150 fitness and yoga professionals to create easy-to-manage websites that reflect their brand vibe and goals.
You can even check out examples of web design projects, and read reviews from our clients.