How to Hire A Webflow Professional

If you are or are considering using Webflow as the platform for your website, you may find yourself wanting to work with a Webflow partner. It can be overwhelming to figure out who to work with though, so in this post, I’m going to give advice based on my experiences as a Webflow designer & developer who has worked with many founders and marketing professionals. Prepare to scope your project and also prepare to have discussions with potential partners so that you can ask each other questions.

Why it is important to define your project scope & requirements

Before you start reaching out to potential Webflow partners, gather some information about your project. You’ve got to be prepared with more information than just “we’re looking for a new website.” Without context, it’s going to be very difficult for a designer or developer to be able to evaluate whether they may be a good fit for your project, how much time it may take, and how much it may cost.

Anyone who says that they can complete your project for X dollar amount in X amount of time without additional information does not really have your best interests in mind and you should consider this a red flag. At the same time, designers and developers may consider it a red flag when a potential client is not willing to spend the time defining their project’s requirements. It goes both ways.

I know that I have to evaluate potential projects regularly and I’m sure most other Webflow professionals do as well. People who can provide information about their project are much more likely to find the perfect partner than those who are not willing to spend some time doing so.

How to evaluate your website project requirements

Before getting into some questions to ask yourself about your project, I want to note that you don’t have to have 100% clarity surrounding all of these questions. A partner is going to be able to ask the right questions to help clarify the full scope of the project as you're in your discussions. What you’re doing ahead of time is trying to prepare as much as you can.

1. What type of website is this going to be? Is there any special functionality that’s going to be required?

It’s important to evaluate the actual platform you’re considering for your website. Webflow is powerful and can handle many different types of websites, but some functionality may require more custom code or integrations.

Think about the type of website you’re looking to create, along with notes about anything you’ll want the website to be able to do or goals that you want the website to help achieve. Do you need a blog? A resource hub? E-commerce? Search functionality? An integration between your website forms and another tool? Do you want to increase traffic, get more qualified leads, make more sales? Having this information will not only help you evaluate the capabilities of your potential partner, but it will help them more quickly understand if they have the right experience to be able to solve your problems.

I personally love working on marketing websites that help capture qualified leads for businesses, but I don’t work on e-commerce projects. Other Webflow professionals focus mostly on e-commerce though, so it’s helpful to be up front about the type of website you’re looking for.

2. What type of project is this going to be?

Is your project web development only? Or do you need help with design, copywriting, SEO, branding, or strategy?

My specialty is Webflow development & technical SEO, but can provide more services depending on your needs. Some partners may focus on other areas, so it can be helpful to have an idea of what services you may need before reaching out to people. Again, it's ok if you don't know exactly what you may need help with, but putting some thought into it ahead of time will only be beneficial.

3. What kind of relationship do you want with your partner?

Are you looking for a varied team of people to work with and do you not mind if they subcontract out the work? If so, you may want to focus your search on agencies or larger groups. Are you looking for a more direct relationship? If so, you may want to look for solo practices, freelancers, or boutique studios of 2-3 people.

You may want to consider whether you’re looking for help with a one-time project or if you would prefer a relationship with a partner over a longer period of time.

Also think about who on your team is going to be involved with the website project. Is it just you or will multiple people be working with your Webflow partner? It's very helpful to understand who will be working on the project and what their roles are.

I work most often as a solo-practitioner who has ongoing relationships with my clients. I pride myself on having a network of professionals who join me for projects where they can add value through their expertise. This allows me to keep things flexible and agile, with my clients’ best interests always at the center.

4. Do you have a deadline for your project?

This is important! You want to make sure that you’re up front about any hard deadlines that surround your website project. Time is a large factor for Webflow partners when evaluating whether a potential project is one they’ll be able to work on. Ideally, you should try to reach out to potential partners well in advance because many may turn down projects that do not include a realistic timeline (and many of us are booked a month or more out).

Of course, if you’ve got a deadline and you’re unsure if the timeline is realistic, it’s worth reaching out as soon as you're able. Sometimes it may be possible to do a smaller, prioritized scope of work by the deadline and do a second phase of work afterward.

5. Do you have a budget for your project?

This is another important factor and the answer should really be ‘yes’. If you don’t have a budget in mind for your project, you may not be ready to reach out to potential partners. When it comes to website projects, every project is unique. Every project has its own scope, requirements, and value and so every project is going to cost a different amount of time and money.

When you can tell a potential partner what your budget is, they are able to evaluate whether they’ll be able to meet all of the requirements of the project within your budget or not. If yes, that is awesome for everyone! If no, then there’s a possibility to discuss what CAN be done within your budget or you’re able able to continue your search. Avoiding a discussion about budget is not beneficial to anyone.

Questions to ask a potential Webflow partner

Research potential partners! Check their websites or other portfolios to see if their general services and capabilities seem to align with what you're looking for. Many professionals will have plenty of information on their websites to help you during your initial consideration. You'll want to look for information like:

• What types of projects do they work on?
• What are their general services and capabilities?
• How big is their team? Where are they located?
• How long have they been doing this work?
• Do they have client testimonials?

Look for this information, create a shortlist, and then reach out! If you can't find answers to your questions ahead of time, you should definitely feel welcome to send questions. Some additional questions that I'm happy to answer after I've received some information about your project include:

• What is your availability for projects during X month?
• Based on the information I'm able to give you about my project, what other information do you need to be able to give a quote? Is there anything I've overlooked that you think we should discuss at this point?
• What's your overall process like? How do you like to communicate and manage projects?
• Are you available for a call this week or next week to chat?

In Summary

Starting a partnership with a Webflow professional is important if you want to have the best experience with your marketing website. There are many things to consider, like your own project goals, scope, timeline, budget, your preferences, and who you think will be the best fit given all of the requirements at play. Think about your project, do your research, and then don't be afraid to reach out! The Webflow community is warm and welcoming. You're sure to find a partner to fit your needs.