You made the decision, it’s time!
You have your online course content written out, ideas on how you want things to look, and the demand from your clients for it.
Yes, it’s time to build your membership site…
But, if you’re like most entrepreneurs, you’re up to your eyes in daily duties to keep things moving.
And with a substantial project like building a membership site on your list, you’re probably wondering can I really make my vision come true?
What is the best way to move this rock? Build the membership site in-house or hire a freelancer? Scrap the idea like it never happened? Then you realize: my clients need this and so do I. I just don’t know where to go.
A Membership Site Provides Enough Reasons To Hire A Freelancer
A membership site can be quite the animal to take on as it involves so many pieces. There’s the CRM system, the marketing automation sequences and campaigns, as well as the setup and building of the course material into a site.
Some (or all) of which you may have never worked with before, so don’t forget the learning curves involved with that.
As you look at that pile of work, you realize one thing: you simply do not have time to do it and it is time to hire a freelancer… Yikes!
It’s time to let go of that fear and get the job done.
And to help you understand why we’re passionate about entrepreneurs being willing to outsource tech tasks, we’re sharing these 7 reasons to hire a freelancer to build your membership site and help scale your business.
1. You Can Find Someone With The Perfect Certification(s)
It’s easy to find a freelancer that fits your wishes based on their certifications.
This allows you to quickly sort through potential hires to find their area of expertise for the programs you use.
Many of the CRM systems and membership programs out there provide rigorous certification courses for freelancers to take with very high passing standards to receive the certification.
And, since the freelancers do have to invest their own time, money, and often travel to be certified in these systems, you can be pretty sure that they’re committed to being tech masters in that niche.
What To Watch For…
Not all certifications are the same! Do a little bit of research to find out what’s required to gain a certain badge or certificate. Generally speaking, the more in-depth the requirement, the more committed (and able) the individual.
2. It’s not their first rodeo – they’ve got experience
Remember that feeling when you first selected your CRM system and logged in and saw all the things to click in there?
Avoid putting that feeling on someone who maybe has never touched that CRM, WordPress, membership plugin, or course materials.
Quality freelancers want to work on projects that involve tools they are confident and have experience in. This expertise allows them to truly help you to realize your own vision better.
They can also offer a special type of finesse, knowing all the in’s and out’s of building a membership site. They can advise you on their past experiences of what has worked well for other websites and can make recommendations or provide new ideas on membership sites.
What to Watch For…
Unfortunately, we’ve worked with a lot of entrepreneurs who relied on a Virtual Assistant (VA) (or another inexperienced freelancer) to help build their membership site… but with pretty bad results and extra headaches.
Really “basic” membership site tasks like using an SSL certificate and setting up a sequence in Infusionsoft can be complex to an inexperienced individual.
This isn’t necessarily the fault of the freelancer! It’s your job to make sure that they know the technology and have the right experience before you enlist their help!
3. They are real people and communication matters
With freelancers, you can enjoy the clarity of talking directly to the person doing the work!
This is something you don’t always get to do when you work with a bigger company or agency. With a freelancer you skip all the madness (emailing one person, who relays it to the next, and a different person entirely responds!) and can work with them and only them.
Typically, you can also find someone who communicates via the channel that you’re most comfortable with – whether that’s email, phone, or text.
What To Watch For…
Note that for many freelancers and businesses, email tends to be the preferred mode of communication. And for good reason!
Emails allow you to be very clear and direct – and leave a trail of evidence in case there’s a misunderstanding later on. Similarly, a project management tool like Basecamp or Asana can be a huge time-saver and keep your communication and projects on track.
But many freelancers are happy to connect over the phone (or skype) if that’s your preference and follow up with a confirmation email afterward.
4. Stretch your dollars without skimping on quality
If you (a) don’t have an in-house membership site expert and (b) don’t have a long list of web development and CRM system needs, then you probably won’t need to hire someone full-time.
Finding a project-based freelancer (or “contractor”) in this case can be a thing of beauty. There are many reasons to hire a freelancer, and this is a big one!
First of all, you can agree on a price for the work done – and specify a general timeframe for the project.
This is mutually beneficial on so many levels:
- You can create a budget for the project, and hire the right freelancer based on this number
- Your new freelancer/contractor is incentivized to stick to the timeline, since it will free them up to accept more clients after you
- If your freelancer really pulls through, they can count on you for referrals and great testimonials
What to Watch For…
Most freelancers will (and should) present a contract for you to sign BEFORE the dollars switch hands and work is done.
This contract should clearly spell out the terms of the project and money to be paid, as well as provide some direction into what happens if they (or you) don’t follow through.
5. They really do care about you (and your biz)
Freelancers are a class of their own, and offer such diverse benefits to your business.
After all, they too are small business owners and understand the importance of quality.
They take pride in their work and are invested in you and your business needs. You membership site becoming success is a celebration for them as well, and they want to see your flourish! They don’t mind doing some hand-holding when explaining things because they want you happy.
A happy client may bring them referrals, because sharing is caring!
What to Watch For…
When hiring your freelancer, look for someone who boasts of a professional website and some great testimonials.
If they take their own business seriously, chances are much higher that they’ll take your project seriously.
Then read this post about 5 things to avoid in a WordPress membership site developer.
6. An efficient way to reduce your workload and stress
Time to be a bit zen in your thinking and accept that by hiring a freelancer, you are drastically reducing you and your team’s workload.
As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to say “I can add that to my plate” or “She is tech-savvy, I bet she can do it.”
But the reality: if you add building a membership site from the ground up on your plate, you are pulling yourself from the strengths of the business.
Likewise, if you add it to a team member’s duties, there will be gaps of knowledge for them to fill, and their area of focus and strengths are diluted for the length of the project.
In both cases, this can cost you more – mentally and financially – than hiring an expert freelancer would.
What to watch for…
Sure, you might have to budget a little more for a highly qualified freelancer. But this investment definitely pays off with a beautiful, working membership site that brings in recurring revenue for your business.
7. Get a fresh perspective from the outside-in
We operate in silos and often get tunnel vision when we are working on projects.
A freelancer coming in to build your membership site with you can be an eye-opener and give you some fresh ideas.
They may be the breath of fresh air you were looking for and suggest the edit you have been pondering for quite some time.
A freelancer comes in with transparency and an eagerness that can bring some brilliance to you and keep you on your toes as you partner together and make things possible.
What To Watch For…
It’s always a good idea to maintain a balanced view of your own business.
While you know its ins and outs best, there’s always value in hearing another person’s perspective especially if that person is a highly qualified freelancer!
What Are Your Reasons To Hire A Freelancer?
In the end, making the decision to hand off the majority of your membership site creation to someone else can be terrifying. But teaming up with a professional freelancer can truly take your membership site vision to the next level.
