What to Look for in an XSitePro Templates Designer

[Why did I write this? I have spent many hours fixing XSitePro templates created by other designers. Clients who just paid a pretty penny for a template they can't use now have to pay more to get someone to fix the mess they find themselves in. That is just a darn shame!]

When hiring an XSitePro templates designer, check out the following things:

1. Is THEIR Web site built with XSitePro? View Source and look for the tell-tale XSP tag. If you don't see that, their site is NOT built with XSitePro! Run away!
2. What is their expertise? Do they offer WordPress, Joomla or Drupal templates? Their business might be geared for those platforms, and they're simply trying to capitalize on the XSitePro market.
3. Do they have tips and tricks that show their expertise with XSitePro?
4. Anyone can have a bunch of fancy templates made in India and then slice and dice them into XSitePro. But when something goes wrong, can they fix it? Will their templates be easy for you to maintain?
5. What kind of after-sale customer service do they offer? The cheaper the template, the less likely they are to want to speak to you after the sale.
6. Will your "custom" template really be made to your specifications or will your template be based on a generic theme?
7. Do they rely on manually-added menus and third-party scripts instead of XSitePro's built-in features?
8. How many testimonials do they have? If they don't have fans, there's a reason for that!
9. Do they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee?
10. Are they accessible? Do they answer their phone and quickly return emails?
11. Do they freely answer your questions and offer advice and tips when you email them?
12. Are they active and respected on the XSitePro forum?
13. Don't assume just because their Web site is fancy and flashy that your template will be the same. Even if the templates they are giving away are fancy, don't assume anything! Often designers commission fancy designs in India that bear no resemblance to the templates they will create for you themselves!
14. And, besides, a flashy, fancy site may not be easily maintained in XSitePro, nor will it necessarily turn visitors into customers!