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What you need to know about hiring a website developer

What you need to know about hiring a website developer

Posted: Mon 10th Aug 2015

Dan Duke, a senior developer at Comic Relief, shares advice on the questions you need to ask a web developer before embarking on an internet project for your business.

At what point should I bring in a website developer?

This depends on your industry, but it's recommends that you get a form of web presence as soon as possible to make it easy for people to find and communicate with your brand.

Even consulting a web developer in an advisory role can have huge benefits. Having someone with the experience can be invaluable and will help you in not wasting time or money with issues that have known solutions.

Where do I start?

The first step is always to sit down, breathe and consider some key questions. The point of this exercise is to get the answers written down somewhere so you can discuss and evolve them over time.

Before you approach a web developer, have answers to the following questions:

  • Why do you want a website?

  • Who is it targeted at?

  • How do you want people to find your site?

  • How will you measure success?

  • What is your budget?

  • What materials do you already have?

  • What does your website need?

  • How do you identify a reputable professional developer?

Look at a potential developer's work. At the end of the day, all website developers will have some form of online presence, whether it's LinkedIn, a personal website or a GitHub account.

After this, the best thing to do is simply get in contact and ask them a few questions. Make sure you'll get on together, as you'll be talking with them a lot and entrusting them with business. So you have to feel comfortable with them.

How much money should I set aside for developing the website?

Dependent on your business's needs, the cost of hiring a web developer can vary greatly. Establishing what you need and want from your website will help you determine exactly how much investment it will take.

Getting a number of quotes will help you gauge exactly how much you should be spending, whether it's a simple home page or a more complex multi-paged site. Having someone with the experience can be invaluable and will ensure you don't waste time or money.

Do I need a web designer too?

Determine how comfortable your web developer is in designing your site. Web designers may not be developers and vice versa, so it's best to ask or to visit their websites to determine exactly what services they can provide and ensure your needs are met.

Should I have an idea what my website should look like?

A rough concept can be useful when answering the initial questions above, but it's not vital. If you have branding materials already, share and talk them through with your developer to help give him or her an idea of the focus of the final product.

What should the timeline of development look like?

  • Plan your requirements and budgets

  • Find a developer you trust and get on well with

  • Agree requirements and discuss alternatives/extras

  • Develop sitemap and wireframe

  • Design and prototyping

  • Website development

  • Website goes live

At each stage, discuss and feedback to the developer so they can edit and amend as necessary. Be open and honest with your development team to ensure you end up with a product you are proud to have support your brand.

Enterprise Nation has helped thousands of people start and grow their businesses. Led by founder, Emma Jones CBE, Enterprise Nation connects you to the resources and expertise to help you succeed.

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