Wednesday’s promoting tip for authors

As many authors have discovered, to their dismay, there’s more to hiring the right graphic designer than the designer’s ability to master color, type, and space. To create an online presence that will help them efficiently plan, write, promote, and profit from their book, authors should look beyond the obvious and ask questions like these:

1. Are you willing to set up a website and blog I can maintain myself, and train me how to do it? Control is essential. It is essential that you be able to add, delete, and edit copy, update calendar listings, add blog posts, and respond to comments. If a designer is not interested, or enthusiastic about, creating a web site you can update yourself, without further costs and delays, they’re the wrong designer for you.
2. How long have you been setting-up autoresponders and shopping carts for clients? Your designer must be able to set up an autoresponder-based system for delivering electronic incentives, i.e.,  white papers, and maintaining a list of prospects who have asked to receive your e-mails, tips, and special offers.
3. How long have you been adding video to your client’s websites? Today, video is a necessity, not a luxury. Your designer must be able to build a platform which will permit you to add videos on your own.
4. What is your impression of the websites the designer has created for their clients? Does their work reflect a visitor-first orientation? Are the sites easy to navigate and quickly locate desired information? Do the pages reflect an obvious information hierarchy? Are pages easy to read? Do the sites reflect images appropriate for the products and services sold?
5. What about the designer’s own site? Is it marketing-driven or is it aesthetically-driven? Does their site contain a frequently updated blog? Is there a white paper, or other incentive for you to download as a bonus when signing-up for their newsletter? Does the site contains social media links to encourage visitors to recommend your site to social networking sites or referral sites?
6. What are the designers fees and terms? Are you comfortable with the designer’s fees? What are the terms like? Are policies concerning approvals and revisions clearly spelled out? Have you contacted a cross-section of previous clients?

The relationship between authors and designers has always been crucial, but never as much as it is today with web designers. It is essential that you hire a designer who can help you create a consistent image in both print and online, an image that you can maintain yourself.

If you have any additional questions, concerns, or experiences (both good and bad) about hiring a graphic designers, submit them as comments, below.