Aftershock Blog
6 Questions You Must Ask A Web Developer
15/1/2010
If you're looking for a web design company to develop your next web site you'll have no shortage of options. So how to choose? Should you get a few quotes and go with the cheapest? If you were buying a car would you simply look around for the cheapest and lowest in quality? Absolutely not, you'd look around, investigate, ask questions and would come to know what you wanted and needed.
So especially if you have no real knowledge of websites, what questions must you ask?
Overview of questions
1. Can I see your portfolio?
2. How Large Is Your Company?
3. Do You Outsource?
4. How will potential customers find me?
5. How will you make my website work for me?
6. How will the site be updated?
Now why ask these questions?
1. Can I see your portfolio?
Looking at a web designer's portfolio of past projects is the quickest and easiest way to decide if they are the right company for your needs.
Questions you should be asking yourself include:
- Does their portfolio of work indicate that they may be able to design what I need?
- Do I like their styles of design?
- Do all their websites look the same?
- Are their designs easy and intuitive to use?
Although your first impression of the company will usually be their own website, make sure you really analyse their portfolio. Don't get caught up on one flashy name or a logo that seems to give the impression that they have worked with a big company (often this was a small promo for a client who sells their product etc...). Every designer is capable of producing one great website - but can they consistently time and again produce great websites in succession?
Expect a portfolio of at least six websites - and look for a good variety of work.
2. How large is your company?
On the face of it, the size of a company doesn't fully indicate the quality of work you will get. There are plenty of freelance web designers who do great work.
However it would be wise to understand who you will be entrusting to help create on online presence that will work for your company.
Ask:
- How many people are in the company?
- How long has it been established?
- How many will be working on my project?
These questions hopefully will allow you to gauge how serious and reliable the company will be. A small company of one or a couple of people could easily close down and get other jobs in the industry - leaving you high and dry.
Will you get effective support for your site after it's done?
3. Do You Outsource?
Again while not strictly a bad thing - it is important to know and understand what you are paying for and will receive in a web site.
If a company is outsourcing to Asia (and India in particular) costs for such developers can be a mere 10% of local rates - So why might their proposal be as expensive as a fully in house company?
Even more serious is to understand the poor levels of security built into outsourced websites and lack of adherence to time and budget. If you decide to go ahead anyway - do so at your own peril - ask if you will be able to contact those who work on your project directly?
If a company uses outsourced people, think long and hard about why you are choosing them, is it worth the risk?
4. How will potential customers find me?
Yes what will the web design company do in order to give you the best possible chance of ranking well?
Certain things should be done as standard in a website development. Other things would be extras, but you need to specify what you require.
NOTE: Any company that flat out promises No.1 search ranking for you, should be scrubbed off the list immediately. No one can guarantee that - ask a reputable company this question and you'll soon see how true this is.
Also the site should conform to industry standards, this can be checked easily online. A guarantee should be sort that this will be the case with your site. If it has errors it can impact how well your site ranks...
5. How will you make my website work for me?
This is the most important question. A web developer should have asked you exactly this long before you've raised it. Why? Well it's the very goal of having a website. To raise awareness, to provide information, to get an enquiry, make a sale, whatever it is both parties must be clear on what the whole purpose of the website is.
Further to this is what the designer has proposed logical for your customers? For example to request info from you will they be forced to fill in a huge form to get info? Or are they not tech savvy and should only be asked to enter the bare minimum.
6. How will the site be updated?
A website with a Content Management System (CMS) is fast becoming a standard or must have for any website. If you will be getting one, how will you be trained to use it? Are you expected simply to pick it up or will you get a customized user manual and / or training sessions?
What will it cost if you have questions, or require further training? Is there an ongoing license fee for the CMS? Why?
If you aren't getting a CMS, how will the page be updated? Will you do it? Do you have the right tools and expertise -editing a website isn't like editing a word document...
If the design company is doing it - how much will it cost? Why?
Hopefully these 6 questions will enable you to filter out the time wasters, and gain the services of a good quality web design company that is focused on looking after you, now and for years to come.