Tips for Choosing a Great Web Developer
Building a new website to represent your business online, or revamping your existing site, requires the finesse of a great web developer, who is not just experienced in the ways of building a visually appealing site, but who can also build a site that is fully functional.
The web development industry is one that is ever-changing and evolving to include new ways of doing old things. The industry is packed to the brim with some incredibly talented people who have worked their way up in their field and are now in a position to help businesses and entrepreneurs have the kind of website presence that is not only a perfect visual representation of who they are but can double as either a shop or as a sales entity.
Developers Differ from Designers in a Number of Ways
Generally, the developer is more skilled and experienced at coding and the more technical side of things, while the web designer focuses purely on the visual aspects, and will often work with a premade theme, which requires a few tweaks and some serious adaptations to suit the brand.
That being said, both developers and designers should be able to create a website that fits in with your ideas and captures what it is that you what to share with the world.
The quality of your website can either make or break your online reputation, which these days filters into so much of our offline lives. When potential customers visit a website that doesn’t look great or which is buggy and prone to slow loading times, or tends to break, the customer will generally assume that the site is a representation of the business itself, and then not support them in the real world.
First impressions matter now more than ever, especially as competition has become so fierce in both the virtual and the real world. When you are planning a new site, it is so important to work with the best developer so that you are in the best position to attract new customers.
5 Easy Tips for Choosing the Right Developer for your Needs
There are the more conventional tips for deciding on a developer, and then there are those tips that can be incredibly important but which are often overlooked.
Conventional tips often have to do with deciding on your budget, having a rough idea of what you expect from your website, and having a goal of sorts that you’d like to achieve with your site.
These are logical tips, and they are more than likely things that you have already thought of well before you started shopping around for a developer.
In our guide to finding the perfect developer for your project, we’re sharing tips that are more in-depth than others you’ll find on the web.
Find a developer who understands your business needs
Some get so caught up in the idea of having a website built that they completely overlook the reason why they are having the site built.
Websites are not just a pretty thing to look at. They serve the very important purpose of promoting your company and, in the case of an e-commerce shop, it is an actual extension of your physical store.
So when you are choosing the right person to build your website, you will want to make sure that the developer completely understands your needs, which can only be achieved if you understand your needs.
One way to figure out if the developer will be able to assist you, even before you have met with them, is to have a look at their past work. A good developer should have a portfolio that they can share with you, and when you look through the work, you should keep an eye out for the kind of sites that match your expectations as well as your industry.
Culture matters
Whether it is company culture or culture in general, when you are choosing the right developer or development team to work with, you should pay close attention to the cultural makeup.
Why is this important?
Because you want to work with the kind of people who will reflect your values. When you have a developer who is familiar with your business culture, they will be in a better position to interpret your needs and give you the sort of site you are looking for. They will also be kind of great to work with, as you will both know what to expect from each other.
Beyond Development
A website can be just the beginning of your journey into the online world of marketing. If you work with a team that is able to do more than just develop a site for you, and you are comfortable with collaborating with the developer, then you can have a future relationship with them when you look to create other projects, such as developing an app or launching an SEO campaign.
Expertise Counts
The web development world is a little overcrowded, and while this gives you more options when it comes to selecting the right person for the job, it also means you need to be a little more careful when making your selection. One big factor to consider, and one that you should not overlook, is the expertise of the person that you are working with.
One way to figure out the expertise is to ask them for their portfolio and for a little background about their time in the industry. You can also look at reviews that others have posted, to get an idea about past experiences.
Think NDAs and Ownership
This is a very important consideration, especially if you are not hosting your own website. Should you be running a company that is highly competitive, or which operates in a very niche industry, you will want to think about having the team sign an NDA.
NDAs are also important for protecting intellectual property, especially since many developers and agencies are known to work with many clients in the same industry. The last thing that you would want is for your coding, design or strategy to be used by the agency on another site, so an NDA is an important consideration.
And if the developer or development company is hosting the website on your behalf, you will want to consider possible downtime or the possibility of the company not honouring their side of the deal. While it is rare that ownership will become an issue, if you don’t want to take the chance, it is better to consider hosting your site on your own account.
