Whether you are in business or belong to an organization
in need of a website, there are many things to consider
as you choose a web designer. You will find that the
ability to relate well with your web designer is as
important as their ability to deliver the project. Many
very talented developers do wonderful websites; but if
they are technically-based, they are often not good at
relating to clients. No matter how talented a web
developer might be or how great their work product, if
they are difficult to deal with, the frustration might
not be worth it at any cost. So plan to have a
conversation with your developer so that you can
evaluate your comfort level before continuing.
Once you establish that you will have a good working
relationship, there are several other key items to
consider.
What will your investment get you?
What is included in the package? Design? Content?
Copywriting? Programming? Search engine optimization?
Hosting? E-Mail service? Follow-up? Updates? You will
need these details in order to evaluate the quote. You
will need to quantify some of these things in terms of
hours, quantity of content, number of search engine
submissions, etc. Also important to determine is whether
your web designer provides and supports Hosting Service
and Website Management after the site design is
complete.
What are your ongoing costs?
All websites have ongoing costs. The basic three include
web hosting service, domain name service and site
management (website updates and search engine
optimization). Be sure that you know the total cost that
you will be expected to pay. Some web development
companies offer relatively low upfront costs but lock
you into higher subsequent costs. For example, you might
pay next to nothing for an adequate website design but
be required to pay high maintenance fees and commit to
long-term hosting contract as a trade-off.
What are the costs for making changes after the site
is launched?
Updates and maintenance on your website should be
ongoing to make your website effective and successful.
Even if you don’t require frequent content changes, you
will eventually need to have your site updated; so you
need to know that your developer will do this as needed
and what the cost will be.
How about Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Will your web developer optimize your new website for
search engine placement? Will there be additional costs
for this service? Although in most cases, you want to
hear that service you are paying for is guaranteed, this
is NOT the case with SEO. If your web developer tells
you that your site is guaranteed to have good search
engine placement, be very wary. A reputable web
developer will never make such a guarantee because such
placement is not entirely within their control – it is a
function of each search engine’s rules.
How reliable are the services you’ll receive?
Will your hosting service keep your website available
99% of the time? Will you be able to access your e-mail
using your own e-mail program (e.g., Outlook)? Will you
also have access to web mail (e-mail service directly
through your website) to retrieve your e-mail from any
computer connected to the Internet while away from your
office? Will you have access to your site usage and
traffic statistics online at your convenience?
Is your web developer accessible?
Can you reach your web developer by phone as well as
e-mail during normal business hours? Is your provider
devoted to web development full time? Is it their only
business? Or is it a part-time sideline while they work
full-time at another job? It can cause issues if you are
unable to work with your web developer directly and can
only communicate by voicemail and e-mail.
Don’t hesitate to ask these questions and ask for
references.
Any good web design firm will welcome the chance to
answer them and can provide you with relevant
references. If you are satisfied with the answers, you
can rest assured that your website is in good hands and
will be an asset to your business or organization.
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This article is the property of the Gilman Group, and
it may be shared provided this block is included and
proper credit is given. Pam Hoffman is the owner of the
Gilman Group, Web Presence and Marketing firm in Glen
Rock, PA. (www.gilmangroup.com). Their clients span the
globe and come from many different industries. If you
are considering a new website or a website makeover,
consider the Gilman Group (800-317-5145).
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