There is a ocean of web development companies out there and finding the one that’s a good fit for your needs can be a daunting task, to say the least. Hiring the wrong web development company can negatively affect your bottom line, your image and your brand. Not to mention it will cost you hours of annoyance and frustration.
Below are some things to consider in your search for a web development company that’s right for you.
With new web development companies popping up on what seems like a daily basis, it’s imperative to know that the team you are considering has been in business for more than a week and that they have the skills to handle your project. You do not want to be a web development company’s first or second or even third project, because it takes time and experience to refine a consistent and reliable process. Many new web developers are figuring out how to do the job as they go along and you don’t want your project to serve as their guinea pig.
This sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s imperative to find a web development team that is honest and transparent. Lack of transparency is a big red flag; if you cannot find information about the company’s team, location or work on their website then the agency is most likely not worth your consideration. If it seems like a company has something to hide, it’s most likely because they do.
Is the web development company you’re talking to able to provide existing client references and testimonials? What do current and past clients have to say about working with this company? Ask for a few references, pick up the phone and find out for yourself.
Knowing your project’s objectives is a two way street. You want a web development partner that values your feedback and addresses your concerns. A company that is flexible enough to work with you and consider your unique requirements. You’ll know pretty fast when talking to a new web development team if they actually care about what you think because they are willing to listen. If they try to shoehorn your project into a place they know and understand because it’s all they know and understand, keep looking.
Getting middled by an incompetent project manager or AE stinks. Project details and objectives can get lost in translation and before you know it, what you have requested get done is not what ends up happening. Make sure, when you hire a web development team, that you can speak directly with the ones doing the work to make sure your questions and concerns are being heard and understood.
A web development company worth it’s salt should be able to provide you with solid samples of their past work along with information about how that work benefitted the client. Consider the scale of the projects the development team has done, aesthetics and whether or not the team can produce the design and code that’s needed to meet your project’s objectives.
So you’ve met a couple of times with your new prospective development team, you like them and you like their work. Ideally you might want to work with the same team on future projects. A good development company should make more than websites. Find out what they know about these items before signing on with them and make sure that they can deliver the goods.
A tried-and-true process is what keeps your project moving forward, on time and on budget. Yes, every project is as unique and generally requires special handling, whether that be in the form of an unusual technical or design requirement or with agency/client communications. That said, a properly defined process takes into account these unique situations while at the same time tackling design and coding issues before they happen.
Below is the process we follow with all web development projects. We have found adherence to this process results in a successful outcome.
Exploration
Exploration of project objectives is an effective and efficient way to begin collaboration and identification of business, creative, branding, user experience, functional and strategic components of the project at hand. This process sets the overall creative and marketing tone of the engagement from the start. During this phase, a review and consultation of the following occurs:
Planning
The planning phase is the process of figuring out “how” to build a website/system most appropriate for the needs of the client. This includes planning the entire development of the system. At this time, we collaborate to create a plan for a custom, robust and scalable solution keeping business objectives, functional and technical needs in mind.
Design
During this phase we work with the client to resolve a visual design and graphical interface for the new website. We offer advice in an effort to optimize website usability, keep website appearance consistent with any existing branding materials and successfully integrate the software solution with these designs.
Development & Implementation
During this phase, the system is constructed. All features and functionality are built as specified and as agreed upon. No new features or functions are changed during the development stage without client approval.
Evaluation & Maintenance
This phase of the project includes a review of results by both parties. We discuss how well goals were met and whether the project has positively affected the target’s perception.
There are a lot, and we mean a lot, of web development companies out there taking pre-designed templates and jamming a project’s brand and objectives into that generic framework. Your brand is unique. Your message and objectives are unique. A good web development company should be able to design you a custom system, both visually and technically, that is aligned with your particular offerings.
Once you retain a new web development team, you enter a relationship that can last from months to years — and you want it to be a good one! Having a good rapport with your team means better communication and better results. Reciprocity and trust are the cornerstones of a good working relationship; if the initial communication with a prospective development company leaves you with feelings of uneasiness or doubt, they’re probably not the team for you.
We are a team of nimble creatives and developers in Reno, Nevada. We design, create, code and produce effective work that gets our clients noticed and produces measurable results.
We approach all of our projects and client relationships with a set of guiding principles; these are the core values that help to make us different and better.
Have a project you’d like to discuss? Want to ask a question or two? Feel free to shoot us an email or give us a call. We’re always excited by the prospect of mutually beneficial relationshps and helping businesses grow.
