I was talking to a potential client yesterday. After discussing the details of the project, the client described his process for selecting a vendor for his project. It became clear to me that his process wasn’t ideal, and would likely end in hurt feelings, an unhappy client and even a possible lawsuit. All that because there was a serious flaw in his selection process.
The process of selecting a Web site developer is one of the keys to a successful project. Here are some tips successful clients use in choosing a Web site designer:
1. Know what you want: The first step to selecting a Web site developer is knowing what type of work you need done. Many clients call us asking for help with a Web site, but don’t know what they are looking for. Do you need help writing copy? Do you need a shopping cart? Do you need a logo? It is often helpful to write down what you want and share it with folks who are bidding on the project.
2. Know your budget: Your budget will dictate the type of developer you can afford. A low budget might mean you’ll need to use a college student who is just getting started. A higher budget might open up higher quality options, such a Web site development professionals and firms. Check out our full article on how to price Web site development projects.
3. Interview: When talking to different Web site developers, determine whether the developer understands what you want. If you are asking for one thing, but the Web site designer is talking about something different, consider that a sign of how the project will proceed. It is our job as Web site developers to offer good advice, but ultimately it is your project, not ours. Does their proposal match what you are looking for? Do you get the impression that the firm or individual understands what you want? Just like in a job interview, it is helpful for both the potential client and the developer to ask questions and to make the conversation more of a dialog.
4. Portfolio & References: Like in most other creative fields, a Web site designer’s portfolio should speak volumes about their talents. But don’t just look for pretty sites or sites that match your style — look to see if the Web site designer did what their client needed. For example, let’s say you are looking to create a Web site for non-technical people — one that is simple and lacks technical jargon. You visit a Web site developer’s portfolio and see a technical Web site full of acronyms and design elements aimed at technical people. At first, you may say that’s not what I want, but if you put yourself in the technical Web site owner’s shoes, you’ll realize did exactly what that client needed. You should feel more confidant that the Web site developer will do what you need too. Don’t forget to ask for and call references. Don’t just ask the reference whether they would recommend them though — ask them about the process, timeline and what they didn’t like about the process.
Following these steps will help your Web site development project be completed successfully. Those are our thoughts, we welcome your ideas below.
#1 by Robbin Block on May 12, 2010 - 8:25 am
All important considerations, but one of the first decisions to be made is whether your site needs to be custom or can reside on a templated solution, or somewhere in between. This has a huge impact on the cost and time it takes to complete a project.
A custom website is necessary when the site requires unique functionality. The custom route will require you to hire designers, developers, coders, etc., which can be a challenge if you’re not familiar with the process. In many cases, you’ll need to keep hiring them if you want to make changes over time. And this is typical if you’re a startup and are evolving your business model. If you do hire developers, be sure to ask them to provide you with a way to add content yourself. You don’t want to be going back to them for every change.
A templated solution which often includes hosting, the CMS and a variety of other tools, is appropriate for startups requiring little specialized design or functionality. You’ll get your site built quickly without the need to know too much about the technology behind it. Tools like Squarespace and WordPress are template-based, but can be “skinned” with custom colors, fonts, headers, images and more. Plus, once you learn how to use them (some are more complicated than others, but offer more flexibility), you’ll be able to make most of the simple changes yourself. That means they’ll get done faster and for a lot less money. I’m giving a class in Seattle about this topic on 5/14/10. For more resources on this topic and a list of website builders, visit my site.
#2 by Anita Wong on May 12, 2010 - 11:48 am
An additional item to consider: Web Design vs. Web Development
You may see the words design and development used interchangeably, however, technically, they are two very different but integral parts of a website.
Website Design is the process in which a designer creates the visual aesthetic of your site using colors, fonts, images, proportion, etc. This can be done by the web designer or by a graphic designer.
Website Development is the coding of a website in order for it to be displayed properly on the web. Also, coding for the functionality and useability like navigation and links, a back-end database, or viewing of a flash movie, and for adding tags for search engine optimization.
Some graphic designers may say that they provide web design services, but most will say that web development is not their strong suit and that they actually prefer to just create the design and layout. Some web designers are not strong in the design side either and will sometimes use pre-designed templates and content management systems to create their sites.
When searching for a web specialist to hire, be sure you understand the difference and make sure they do as well to assure that your website is created correctly and completely.