lost in clover

Lately we’ve seen a troubling trend – businesses who are extremely unhappy with their web developers for various reasons. Usually, most of the problems stem from a mismatch between developer and web site owner. Granted, it can be quite difficult for a business owner to fully understand all the nuance of web development and even more difficult to know if each web developer interviewed is the best fit for their business.

So how is the business owner who isn’t a tech geek supposed to evaluate web development companies fairly and find the right match? The process should begin with a fair and impartial assessment of business needs, employee skills, budget, desired site deployment date and internal work loads. Businesses should be ruthless in their self-examination – since unfair or inaccurate assessments will only hurt the business by wasting time and money. Once needs are clearly defined, the business is ready to interview web developers.

These are some basic questions that the business owner (or business stakeholders) should ask themselves to develop a clear set of web site development objectives.

1. What should our web site accomplish?
   

   Are you trying to build your brand, provide detailed information about your products and services, sell your products online – or some combination of these? The answer to this question will influence the answers to other questions because different web site objectives will drive discussions of budget, project timeline, employee needs, and so on. Web sites may be as simple as a “brochure” style site that showcases your business product or service or a complete on-line storefront.

2. What other web sites do we find attractive?
   

   When you finally choose a developer, this will be one of the first questions they may ask to gain a better understanding of your vision. Look at other web sites to spark ideas before you talk to developers – develop a clear vision at the outset so that you approach prospective developers with finite objectives. You may want items included in your site that require a specific skill-set, and developers who use that skill-set regularly may be more reasonably priced than a developer who will have to outsource that work to someone else.

3. How often do I plan to make changes or additions to our site?
   

   This begins the questions about a content management system (CMS). Developers love CMS systems because it allows them to disconnect from the client and move on to their next project.

   • Some developers have developed their own proprietary CMS systems that allow them to merely put together various modules and “skin” them for the client. This is very cost effective for the developers, but not always the best solution for their client.
   • Other developers use purchased CMS systems that are regularly updated and maintained by the software company. These systems are usually a much better choice for the client, but more expensive for the developer.
   • There are also open source CMS systems that are widely used by developers. These systems are cheap for the developer, but not very intuitive for the client and are sometimes the target of hackers intent on defacing web sites.

   Be sure you understand the benefits as well as the limitations of the CMS your developer proposes to use for your web site.

4. Who (internally) has responsibility for updating and/or reviewing our site?
   

   We recommend clients update their web site monthly, but you must update your site sooner or later. It is important to identify who in your organization is responsible to periodically review and update your web site. This should be part of someone’s  job description and performance evaluation to be sure that this task is not forgotten!

5. Do my employees have the skills necessary to perform their web related tasks?
   

   Once you have decided who in your organization is responsible for web site updates, you should evaluate their web related skills. Sooner or later you will discuss providing material for your web site and updating procedures with your developer – it’s good to know how much training your employees will need before you sign a contract.

6. Is it more cost effective or efficient to pay a web professional to make periodic web site updates?
   

   If you plan to make only periodic updates to your site, it may be more cost effective to offer your developer a small monthly retainer to perform your updates. Not all developers will offer this service, as most don’t provide ongoing client service. However, paying for an hour of developer time once a month or once a quarter may cost significantly less over the long run than paying to implement an extensive content management system that you may or may not ever use. Although you don’t get the immediate gratification of a CMS, you keep your employees on task doing what they do best and allow your web developer to do what they do best.

7. How will we market our web site?
   

   This is a loaded question that will drive some of your web development decisions.

   • If you plan to market your site through paid advertising either in print or online through pay per click (PPC) advertising, you can develop any type of web site using whatever you wish.
   • However, if you want your web site to appear in “organic” web searches your web site should be “search engine friendly.”
   • If you already have a web site, you can contact a search engine optimization (SEO) firm to evaluate your site for friendliness.
   • If you are interviewing web developers, be sure to ask how they insure their sites are search engine friendly. If they use a CMS be sure that the CMS uses search engine friendly URLs and allows the addition of standard search engine optimization tags.
   • If you’re buying a Flash web site, understand that they are not yet fully search engine friendly and you should budget for advertising.
   • Also ask if the developer adheres to the W3C standards for web development – it will make a positive difference in your search engine rankings.

Having a clear set of objectives before you interview web developers will help you make an informed decision. If you’re calling references or asking around about a developer, be sure you speak with someone who has had a similar type web site developed. If you are developing an extensive web site, you may wish to retain a consultant to help you evaluate developers and their proposals. And, if you feel at all hesitant about a developer – get another opinion. Don’t settle for a hit-and-run developer, find a firm who will be your web site adviser.