Youโve decided to bring in some outside help when developing a new website for your businessโcongrats; thatโs a great decision that, if done properly, will ensure that your web presence is professional, brand-aligned, and technically functional. But now comes the hard part: actually choosing a web developer.ย
There are countless developers out there vying for your business and your money; everything from massive multi-national corporations to your marketing managerโs nephewโs buddy who does some coding on the side. So how do you make sense of it all? How do you wade through the sea of options and how do you find a web developer that meets all your needs and expectations?ย ย
Itโs not just the number of options that makes picking a web developer difficult; itโs that youโre almost certainly not an expert yourself (if you were; youโd probably not be outsourcing the work!), so how do you even know where to start? Well, here are just a few questions to ask yourself when exploring developers: Theyโre simple but will help you start to hone in on the perfect choice that you can trust with your business.
Is the developer aligned with your technical needs and your budget?
Like any project, one of your very first steps should be defining exactly what work you need done, and what budget you have to spend. With web development, this starts by asking yourself what sort of website you need.ย
Are you a small business that just needs some basic information on an attractive, usable web page? If thatโs the case, you may only need a developer who can help you set up a site on Squarespace, Wix, or another easy-to-use template-based platform.ย
Are you planning on selling through your website? Youโll want a developer familiar with e-commerce platforms and the best SEO practices to help drive sales through the site itself.
Or are you a larger company with a bigger budget but more in-depth web functionality needs? If so, youโll want an enterprise-level developer that knows how to build a powerful, stable, and functional site from the ground up.
What companies or industries has the developer done work for?
Of course, youโll want to assess any potential web developerโs past experience to make sure they can really get the job done. Asking questions about how many years theyโve been developing, what sort of ongoing education theyโve received to ensure theyโre keeping up to date, and what they have in their portfolio are all great ways to suss out what sorts of experience they have in the field.
But the smartest companies will go a step further: itโs not just about raw time spent in the field, but what sort of work theyโve actually done. Look at their portfolio critically; if youโre a web sales business, then youโll want a developer with experience working with similar e-commerce sites. If youโre a restaurant, you may not need that same e-commerce experience, but youโll want someone whoโs worked with restaurants in the past, or whose portfolio is full of sites that prioritize simplicity, ease of navigation, and aesthetic attractiveness.ย
In an ideal world, youโll want to find a developer who isnโt just a jack of all trades but is someone with deep, intimate knowledge of what works best for your specific business and industry.
Do you need ongoing support?
Another great question to ask yourself and a developer is what types of services your company will need, and what types of services they offer as a developer. For example, what are your plans for if the website breaks, or for when you need to update the look or the content? A reasonably tech-savvy person may be able to handle basic updates and maintenance to a SquareSpace site themselves, but a lot of businesses will want a trusted professional they can reach out to down the road when things go awry.ย
So when looking at developers, check what sort of ongoing support and services they provide, and for what cost. Youโll want to make sure any potential support cost is in-line with your budget and that the services being offered will cover the sorts of unexpected issues or necessary updates that you want to be paying for. And donโt forget to ask questions about the availability of services: If youโre a business that gets all your heaviest traffic on a Saturday night, the last thing if your website breaks is to find out that your developer only responds to issues from 9-5 Monday-Friday!
Do you align with the developerโs personality and business values?
Lastly, youโll want to run a vibe checkโthat is, youโll want to make sure the developer youโre choosing is someone you feel comfortable working with! It may sound almost too emotions-based for such a technical project, but trust us: when youโre building an ongoing partnership, it helps immensely if you, you know, get along with the people youโre working with.ย
This isnโt just about personal preference, though, itโs also about making sure your developer โgetsโ you and your brand in order to provide the best service possible. A developer that goes on and on about โdisruptionโ and โweb3.0โ might be perfect for your new tech start-up, but maybe a complete mismatch for a mom-and-pop dry cleaning shop.ย
Ideally, when choosing a developer youโll be chatting with them before making a final decision, and this is a great opportunity to see if the personality fit is there if their business values match your business values, and if their way of thinking and developing fits your business needs.
If youโre a local business that is starting the search for a new web developer, we hope youโll consider Skol Marketingโs Minnesota-based team. To learn more about how we can help you build, update, and maintain your website, please donโt hesitate to contact the local web development experts at Skol Marketing.
