What level of Make.com expertise do I need for basic business automation like syncing contacts between apps?
For simple two-app connections, a beginner-level professional can handle this in a few hours. However, if you need data transformation, duplicate prevention, or error handling, you'll want someone with intermediate skills who can build robust scenarios that won't break when data formats change.
How can I tell if someone actually knows Make.com well versus just listing it on their resume?
Ask them to walk through a specific scenario they've built, focusing on how they handled errors and optimized for operation costs. Real experts will mention features like iterators, aggregators, and data stores, and they'll ask about your business processes before proposing technical solutions.
Can Make.com handle real-time automation, or is there always a delay between trigger and action?
Make.com offers both instant triggers (webhooks) for real-time automation and polling triggers that check for changes every 15 minutes. While instant triggers work in seconds, some apps only support polling, which creates delays. A skilled professional will know which apps support which trigger types.
How well does Make.com integrate with the business tools we're already using?
Make.com has over 1,000 native integrations including all major business platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify, and Google Workspace. For tools without native integration, experts can use webhooks and API connections. However, some legacy or highly specialized software may require custom workarounds.
How long does it typically take to set up automation workflows in Make.com?
Simple two-app connections can be built in a few hours, while complex multi-step workflows with conditional logic might take 1-2 weeks. Migration projects from other platforms usually take 2-4 weeks depending on the number of existing automations. Testing and refinement add another week to most projects.
What kind of ongoing maintenance do Make.com automations require after they're set up?
Well-built scenarios typically need minimal maintenance, but you should expect monthly monitoring of operation usage, quarterly reviews of performance, and occasional updates when connected apps change their APIs. Budget for 2-4 hours of maintenance per month for a typical business automation setup.