Web Services Needed: What SMEs Need to Know When Hiring a Web Developer or DesignerPosted by Tillman Strong on May 19th, 2021 Your business is... well, whatever your organization may be: recruiting, plumbing, running your restaurant. Many SME owners are privileged to accomplish what they love and work very difficult to create their businesses successful. Anything you do, you want your site to work for you, nevertheless, you want to spend time running your business, not working on the nuts and bolts of web page design, so when you will need web services, how can you make sure that you are doing the proper thing for your business? This straightforward checklist will help you to manage your online service needs from begin to finish and to ensure you get the very best quality and value web development for your company. Which web services do you need? Unless you yet have a website, the initial step is to write down exactly why you will want website and what you want it to do for your business. Is it an online business card for reference? Do you want to sell products or services via your site? Is it to improve communication within or beyond your organisation? All these factors influence the design and development of one's website, who might be best suited to do the task and the potential cost. If you already have a website, try to pinpoint just what you do and do not like concerning the existing website and how things may be changed. Try and be specific: instead of noting that it looks outdated, identify what makes it so: is it the color scheme or the fonts? Is the navigation clumsy or out-of-date? You don't need to be a web design expert to do this, nonetheless it will give you a head start in searching for a web developer to resolve these problems. Next, prioritise your "wishlist", which may be a combination of specific points, e.g. improving the layout and much more general needs e.g. "I would like to drive more business to my website". When you have this, you've got a brief which a web developer can use to work out the web services needed and how to achieve the desired results. Because the list is prioritised, when it comes to obtaining quotes for the task, you can decide how much is achievable within your timeframe and budget. Choosing the right person Do you need a web designer, web developer or programmer? The terms may all sound similar, but you can find distinct differences in the task they do and therefore what you can get from their web services for the site. A web designer focuses primarily on the appearance or look and feel of the website, like the layout. A good web designer should be an expert in making websites visually powerful and impactful and in drawing visitors to the right areas of your website. Some web designers combine their services with graphic design, so if you have a fresh look and feel branding on your own website, they are able to incorporate it for you personally on company letterheads and business cards too. A web programmer focuses more on functionality. They might program solely for the web or may do software programming too. The programmer's concern is getting features of your website to work. Examples may include building an online intranet or database application, where information can be stored on your database and manipulated via your website. In larger companies, these roles tend to be split so that programmers focus on the "back end" - the features that make a website work and apply the "front end" developed by a web designer to help make the site more attractive. A web developer muddies the water considerably, sorry. Web designers can incorporate components of design and programming. Web development is a broader term for getting an internet site online and rendering it work. You can expect a good web developer to have an eye to both the appearance and functionality of the web site. If you want to narrow it down and you are not quite sure about the technicalities, have a look around your site. Probably athemeart in the address bar could have some kind of extension e.g.(.html,.asp,.php,.cfm). Try Googling for terms like "asp developer" to get someone with the precise skills to enhance your website. Grill the portfolio Once you search for a web developer's website, check their portfolio thoroughly and do not stop there - look for their clients' website online. If you are looking for website redesign to allow you to update content easier, how well will be the developer's portfolio sites maintained? In case you are primarily concerned with Search engine optimisation (SEO), just how do client sites fare on se's for the relevant terms? The personal touch Above all, pay attention to client recommendations. The web site can show you the end result, but the recommendation can inform you of the web design process with this particular individual or company. Every SME is different, but with all those I have worked with, a very important factor has remained exactly the same: the importance of the non-public touch. Whether you are employing a freelancer or perhaps a big web development company, you have to ensure that you can set up a good relationship together with your web developer. How quickly and thoroughly do they respond to emails or phone calls? Are they forthcoming with advice and what type of advice do they offer? Again, you don't need to be an expert, you just have to judge whether you think it rings true and fits for you personally and your business Go big or go local? Web design and development is big business and variety may be the name of the game. Google, Bing and Yahoo! can play a large part in your choice, but rankings aren't always the whole story. It is well worth considering a local web design company or developer, since they may have local contacts to help you promote your website or greater usage of resources like online business directory listings which can increase your search engine rankings. I caused a Cambridge charity who wanted to hire a Cambridge web developer because they knew the web services needed will be ongoing and that discussion and meeting in person in Cambridge would be important to them, instead of discussing their needs over the phone or email. How much should web site design cost? Much like any investment you lead to your SME, it goes without saying that you should check around and get several quotes. Although you may know which developer you wish to go with, it really is worth checking that you are being charged the going rate for the web services needed. If the net design prices are above average, you must decide whether your relationship with the company or freelance web developer are worth paying the extra cost. If the prices are considerably below average, this will set alarm bells ringing. Canny SMEs know that you always get what you pay for. Working as a freelancer, I know that my clients prefer me to be upfront about costs and that it builds trust. Beware companies who hedge their bets with quotes as it can be considered a telltale sign of inexperience. However, it really is worth considering that quoted prices are just a starting point. Being an SME, it is down to you to hash out what is included and what is not. For instance, many sites offer SEO friendly websites. Because of this the net design will incorporate the features needed to give your site a lift on Google. However, SEO does not stop here. If you ask me, building websites for Cambridge companies browsing engines can be an ongoing process which occurs over a period. Web site design prices: break it down If in doubt, ask the net designer or developer to break the price down per task. This way, if you have a time-consuming feature which is not at the top of your web design wishlist, it is possible to decide whether or not it really is worth the web developer's time and - moreover - your money. Your SME, your site Love or loathe the web: your website is really a big part of your company's identity. It pays to obtain it right; it costs to obtain it wrong, so take your time to get the web services you need.Like it? Share it! More by this author |