Web Design Help > Working With a Web Developer

If you have yet to dive into the world of web design and development, the reason may be that you feel just about like you felt right before you bought your first stereo gear - a little intimidated, not knowledgeable about some of the terms, and wary of that "stereo salesman" in the polyester, checkered coat.

First of all, can you develop a web site? Of course, you can. You can also build your own store, install all of your client's equipment by yourself, and design all of your own marketing materials. But if you are a smart, "new millennium" businessperson, you will hire the right people to do the best job at the best value.

Effective web site development requires experience and understanding of many diverse areas, including: marketing, Internet graphics options and limitations, hidden language on your site that search engines will index, the differences and limitations of different browsers and computer platforms, as well as knowledge of the software and coding required to move beyond simple static HTML pages.

So let's jump to using a web developer. He or she should qualify you, just like you qualify your customers. If at any time you feel like he's rushing you into something, better look elsewhere. If your web developer does not know your business or does not know how to effectively communicate your business aspects and advantages to your customers, there will be a learning curve you will pay for one way or another - either in up front costs, or more likely, in costly changes and additions to your web site, after it is completed.

The web development process for Cebiz' clients is, at least, a five-step process we call the Five Ds:

Discovery: the process of rendering the essential needs and unique elements of your business - your market(s), your culture, your business proposition, your competition

Definition: sharpening these core values, getting to what is really important and focusing on the most important deliverable message

Design: expressing these values through visual elements, text, ease of use, and intuitive navigability

Development: refining, testing, and honing the edges of these multimedia messages to deliver a cohesive product that saves you time & money, and that you can control and use

Deployment: bringing concept to action, and maintaining and refining the work over time

It¼s never really finished. As soon as you have sensed completion, the world has changed. It is our strongly held belief that if any firm does not take its client through each of these steps in qualifying their Internet, web, or digital needs, both companies are shooting in the dark.

Ask yourself these questions about your developer:

Are they qualified? Your nephew might be taking a course in HTML and will build your site for a free car stereo, but will your site look professional? Remember that your site is the only impression some people will have of you. Make it dazzling. It won't cost you that much more to do it right.

Does the prospective developer listen to and understand your needs and intentions? Does she/he communicate technical information so that you can understand it, or seem to lose patience with you after a while? The process of creating a web site can be an overwhelming process for some people. Consider hiring a developer with whom you have a good rapport and find communicating with easy. If you have a problem from the get-go communicating with your developer, what makes you think it will get any better farther along in the development process?

Have you checked other sites the developer has completed? If so, what did you think of them? Is there diversity of styles, or do they all look the same? Does the designer custom create each site or would they have you select from a list of prepackaged sites?

Have you checked out your competitors' Internet presence? If so, ask your developer what she thinks of them and for her suggestions for improving upon what others have already accomplished. The developer's answers will clue you in to her level of commitment to your business motives.

What is your budget? Remember that a functional web site can reduce your company's costs in many areas. Don't hesitate to allocate the proper resources to get the job done right. But remember, a web site and the marketing behind it is only part of a good, overall marketing plan.

What is the typical cost for the developer's projects? It will vary greatly, based on what you want to accomplish and the type of developer you hire. Do-it-yourself (DIY) web pages and web-stores may look like a good deal. But will you have the time and expertise to develop and maintain your site? And, do other sites that used the same DIY tools look professional?

Usually, the larger the development company, the more they charge for their services. Companies that create sites from a prepackaged template often cost less but may not provide you with custom solutions which may more closely meet your needs. Site designers just starting out, often will create your site for a lower fee, because they are on a learning curve, but may not have the marketing experience to help your business get all it can out of the Internet.

Deciding on a web developer for some people may be a no-brainer. But for most, careful attention to these and other questions that you'd ask any person representing a service business, will make the decision that much easier.

Visit other Cebiz Web Help pages for articles related to Internet and digital technologies.

Internet Reliability: The Ultimate Oxymoron - How dependable is web-based delivery of information? Only as strong as the weakest link.

View Examples of Our Work and Learn More About Your Opportunities

Web Development
Extranets & Intranets
I.T. Integration
Digital Toolbox
Web Marketing & PR
Communications, WebCasting, e-Learning
Hardware
Maintenance & Hosting

Call or e-mail us to discuss your project!

222 Atherton Avenue
Ventura, CA ..93004
phone:805-647-3779
fax: 805-647-5616

E-Mail