Inspired Advantage

Determine Your Own Needs

This doesn’t have to be complicated and technical question.  Just ask yourself a few of the following questions:

• What kind of information do I want on my site?  How big of a site do I want/need?
• Who are my users/customers?
• What is my goal? (i.e. increasing sales. informative, providing tools for customers etc.)
• Am I going to need a shopping cart system (online store)?
• Will I want to rely on search engines to send traffic to my site?
• Will I need someone to help me with the content of my site?
• What kind of budget do I have?

Developer Portfolio, references & skills

This should be high on your checklist, of course.  You’ve got to LOVE what you see from the developer that you are going to hire.

• Do they have a visible development portfolio?
• Do they have websites in their portfolio with real customers that you could visit the actual websites of and contact for references if you wanted to?
• Do you like the developer’s own business website?
• When you talk to the developer, listen to them.   Are they asking you questions about what your site is trying to accomplish and focusing on how they can solve your needs or are they just giving you the laundry list of their potential services?

Pricing

The cost of a professionally developed small business website can cost anywhere from $500 to $5000.

• To be sure that you are not overspending your budget you must get a written estimate.  Some developers will charge for estimates based on how complicated your site design is as well.
• Estimates should be itemized so that you know what you are paying for your domain name, hosting services, graphics, web development, marketing services etc. all separately.
• What methods of payment are accepted?
• Is payment required upfront or does the developer require a deposit upfront?
• How is the labor for the development calculated?  Is the developer working and charging by the hour or charging a flat rate?  While a developer who charges $30 an hour might seem like a fabulous deal at first, it may take them twice as long to accomplish a task.
• What items or services will cost you extra?  Is there anything that will not be included in the estimate that you need for your website?  Be sure to look over the listing of ala carte services if the developer has one.  If you are going to require frequent updates, you may want to look at the cost of the developers support and update services.

Communication

It is crucial that you find a developer that you feel comfortable with and one that you can communicate your ideas with clearly and completely.

• How easy is your designer to talk to?  Are they friendly?
• Do you trust them?
• Do they speak in plain English when describing their ideas to you or are you confused by the tech talk?
• Are they listening to your needs?

Support

You really need to know if your investment is going to be supported in the months and years to come.

• Does the developer offer ongoing support services?
• What are the costs associated with the future support?

Services

What kind of services does the developer offer?  Is there a full range of services available?

• Will they help you acquire a domain name?
• Will they help you find a hosting service and set up a hosting account?
• Will they help you with marketing your website and search engine optimization?
• Will they help you with content?

Completion Time & Availabilty

You have a business to run and no doubt have a deadline in mind.   You’ll want to ask your developer these questions:

• How long is the development process for your website going to take?
• Are they a full time developer or is this a side job?
• What is their schedule like?
• When will they be able to start on your project?
• Once your site is complete and you’re in the “Support Phase”, how long can they expect for changes to be submitted to their website?

Content & Writing

Content & writing, also known as “Copy writing” is a technical skill and it can be really tough to master.

• Are you going to write your own website content?
• Does your web developer offer copy writing services?
• Can your web developer recommend a great copy writer?

Search Engine Optimization

Anymore many website development companies incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) into their list of services that they offer.

• SEO is an ongoing process but should be implemented with the initial development of the website.
• Many developers offer additional opportunities for SEO including help with advertising, pay-per-click campaigns, social media marketing, video marketing, etc.
• SEO services don’t have to be purchased immediately with the website build but to know they are available from your developer helps.

Trust Your Gut

Even after you’ve been through the list above and maybe you’ve even requested a quote or a proposal, you absolutely MUST trust your gut feeling about the integrity, competence and ability of the developer.

There you go!  I hope you’re able to confidently hire a professional website developer now that will give you a great ROI with my 10 easy tips!