Web Design: How To Choose The Right Web Designer Or Developer For Your Project

Most, if not all businesses today can benefit from a website. If you already have a site that is not working for your business, or you are starting the process of finding a web developer, you can save a lot of time, trouble, and most importantly, money, by answering a few questions before choosing a website. designated.

What is your budget?

Money and time are the two most important factors to consider before making a decision. In general, most of the sites I have worked for, or have been asked to work for, fall into three cost tiers.

Realistically, $ 500, is the minimum that must be budgeted for the design / redesign of any site. It should be easy to find a good designer for $ 300-400 to create a good basic website. But chances are, you will have some changes and updates, especially the first month or two after launching your online presence. Therefore, it is always a good idea to add 10-15% to your budget for any changes, etc. that will most likely arise.

Many companies I already have some kind of website or online presence. If you or your organization fall into this category and are looking to redesign and / or update your site, you probably have a better idea of ​​what your budget will be. More than $ 500, most likely. Website or app redesign could even cost thousands of dollars. So for redesigns, finding a developer with the right mix of skills will be the next big decision to make.

There are basic skills you should look for in any web designer. For example, you want to make sure that they can actually produce a functional website. This seems obvious. But there are professionals who specialize in developing templates, flash or other products, which can be turned into websites. But they are not really a final product. These are valid and valuable services. Just make sure your end result is a published working website.

Other things like communication, scheduling conflicts, experience in your market area, and looking at your past work to see if your design style is a good fit for your organization, are basic questions to consider when looking for candidates for your website. draft. Beyond the basic skills, it is also helpful to look at the exact skill sets of the various designers competing for your project.

Today, title website manager encompasses a wide variety of specialists and skill types. For example, many webmasters have a background in graphic design. If your or your organization’s requirements call for intensive animation, video, and / or graphic design, you will specifically want to find a web designer with a lot of experience with flash, photoshop, etc.

Some other common sources webmasters come from are: IT, Marketing, Writing and Sales. There are many more. The main idea is to get a good idea of ​​what the internet developer specializes in and how they want to promote their site. Matching developer expertise to your requirements can make the process much easier.

There are also quite a few, like me, who fall into many of the above categories. Although some webmasters have great knowledge of multiple areas of expertise, they are few and far between. However, there are many who will have all the skills you need. Most developers working on many types of projects will score a 6-9, on a scale of 1 to 10, in the various competencies that their project requires.

The advantage of working with a web developer who is not a 10 in any area, but who has multiple areas of expertise, is just that. The entire project can be managed by one person or a group. Having worked on projects involving multiple developers, I can say that it automatically adds a new layer of complexity to the project. Since you will have multiple developers working on various aspects of the project, you will have to manage workflow, communication, and finally tie it all together at the end. For these and many more reasons, it is always best to work with only one developer or web design company at a time.

If you are working with a company Since you may have a lot of people working on your site, it’s always a good idea to ask a few more questions. You still have the advantage of having the entire project managed by one entity, but the problems of miscommunication and delays can still be a problem. The project will most likely be handled by a project manager who will then delegate and relay the requests to multiple people within your web design company.

A good practice is to always endorse any written communication and ensure that deadlines are part of that communication. For example, much of my communication takes place over the phone. It is very helpful to write an email that covers all action items, issues, etc. that were covered on the phone or in an in-person meeting. I simply ask them to reply to the email to verify what was covered, or clear up any misunderstandings before starting work on any phase of a web project.

Written communication Checking that everyone understands what to expect and when is best practice for virtually any situation. It is even more important when you work with a company rather than directly with a single web developer.

If your budget is less than $ 300-500, range, try to find some additional resources in some way to allow more budget for the project. If not, you will most likely have to outsource it to an overseas company. You also have the option of building the site yourself; Or find a newbie designer or a friend with some knowledge to help you. The downside to this is that it will take much longer.

If you just can’t increase your budget, the best thing to do is look up a developer on a web job board. Sites like guru and elance have many low cost developers who will bid on your project. If you choose to go this route, you can reduce the amount of time wasted by having a very clear idea of ​​what your final site should like and how it should work.

Increase your own technical knowledge it can also save you some time. Since you will likely end up working with a web developer in another country and time zone, any miscommunication or deviation from the original request can leave you penniless with an incomplete website. And like I said, it will definitely cost you days, if not more, in time.