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What to Expect from Your Web Developer
If you are responsible for your company’s Web site, you
do not necessarily need to know all the technical terms
or procedures involved in making and maintaining your
Web site. You do need to understand a few basics and
know what to expect realistically from your Web
developer and from who ever will be responsible for
future Web site maintenance and changes. How do you
know if you are getting a professional Web site design
for your product?
Some important things to talk about
with your Web developer
- Domain name and domain name
registration:
Costs range from $6.95 to $35 a year. You can
register your chosen name or your Web developer can
do it for you. Be aware of domain name registration
renewal dates.
- Hosting:
This is the
monthly rent you pay for space for your Web site on
a server (computer that is always accessible from
the Internet). This fee can range from $6.95 to $25
or more a month depending on the provider. A secure
(encrypted) server is more expensive and is
important if you take credit cards for payment on
your site.
- Choices for selling your
product:
How are your
customers going to buy your product?
Write, telephone, or fax in orders? Alternatively,
are you going to use e-commerce-(selling
on-line-with shopping cart or buy buttons where the
customer can utilize their credit cards)? On-line
sales require a secure server and payment gateway
service for the payment portion of the transaction.
- Graphic design:
The look and feel of your site. Does it fit your
product? Does it look professional? Is it fast
loading, easy to navigate, and easily readable?
Be sure you have full rights to the design and any
pictures used on your site.
- Keywords and Search Engine
Submissions:
Does the Web developer do keyword research, add
metatags to your pages, and assist you in developing
keyword rich text to both help in marketing your
products and help your placement in search engines?
These words and programming code help search engines
find your site for prospective customers on the
Internet. Does the developer submit your site to
search engines and Web directories once the site is
on-line and ready?
- Future maintenance:
Is the developer including Web site maintenance in
their package? How much will future work cost? Can
you or one of your staff do all or some of the
updates? Who will do future search engine and
directory submissions?
Realistic expectations for your Web
developer
- A good rapport with the
developer is necessary.
Web developers should talk in language you
understand. They should also understand your
industry enough to use your jargon on your Web
site. I recall a saddlemaker who said his Web
designer kept misspelling the word “tack.”
- They should complete work
quickly. If a Web
site design drags out for months, the person
probably has too many customers or does not
understand what he is doing. Web site updates
should also be done in a timely manner. 24-72 hours
is a realistic period unless an exception is made.
- Changes:
If you want the
developer to change the site in some way, they
should do it quickly and willingly or explain why
the change is not appropriate.
- Monetary cost is not
necessarily a valid criterion
for the quality of the final design. A good many
Web sites seem to be overpriced for the results.
Average people with Web sites do not know if they
are getting a professional job or getting the run
around. Sometimes unprincipled designers can take
advantage of the customer’s lack of technical savvy.
- Realize your own
responsibilities with regard to the site.
Be sure to do your part in getting text and photos
to the developer in a timely manner. Provide
passwords and user names as needed. Without your
material, the developer has nothing to work with.
Be sure you proofread your site and suggest
changes. Everyone will miss something and sometimes
the site will look completely different on your
computer than it does on the developer’s computer.
Keep your bills paid in a prompt fashion and
remember renewal dates.
Cooperation between the Web site developer and the
client is very important. With out it, it is impossible
to put together a professional Web site.
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