What to look for in a Web Developer

So you are looking for a web developer?

Not sure where to start? Maybe been burned already in the past by web developers who are here one day and gone the next?

How do you know who to choose?

First, be sure you check their website. Make sure it looks good, works properly, and has good examples of their work.

The best way to ensure you are working with the right developer is talk to them. Make sure you are able to at least talk to your developer on the phone, if not face to face. Get a feel for who they are, if they can be trusted, and if they are knowledgeable and experienced in what they do.

Ask them questions and ask them to explain to you how they will go about building your website. A good developer can easily explain his process in terms his clients can understand.

Great questions to ask are:

What websites have you developed?
What kind of websites have you designed?
What is your best project?
How would you build my website?
How do you recommend we structure our website?
Will our website be compliant with w3c standards?
What do you think it will look like?
How should we market our website after it is up?
How long will it take to build our website?
Can I see some testimonials and get a few references?

Observe how confidently they answer these
questions and look for trouble spots such as:

They have very few websites they have done and can show.
They don’t have a “best project” or their best project is not very impressive.
They do not have very innovative or creative ideas for your website.
They do not have testimonials or references to give.
They do not seem to be on top of the latest technology.
They don’t teach you anything.
They want all the money up front.
They do not have an office or any staff.
They do not enjoy what they are doing.

Your web designer is your web expert. You need to be able to trust them and their expertise. You need to know that when they recommend something, they do so from experience and knowledge. It is important to know they will be here tomorrow and are established. Web developers with a happy client base have spent alot of time building that and are less likely to move on, so testimonials and references are important. An office and staff also helps prove establishment and success.

Good web developers know their field and keep up to date on the latest technologies. Make sure they know what they are doing and are providing an up to date solution. Your web developer should be able to teach you something you didn’t know before… remember, you are hiring a professional, they should know more about it then you. Make sure they do. Ask questions!

Don’t trust a developer who asks for everything up front! A down payment is standard, but do not put everything up front.

Before you keep looking…

I hope this helps you to think about ways to help you look for a web developer for you.

Here at Creative Impact Solutions, we strive to meet all of these criteria… we work hard on our own website, we produce great websites for our happy clients who are happy to provide testimonials or act as references, we have several “best projects” that we are happy to talk about, we love what we do and get excited about it, we strive to educate our clients and advise them as best as we can, we have an office (we are quite proud of our office and our decor) and staff, and are available to the client in many ways, office phone, cell phone, email, Facebook, Twitter etc.

If you are looking for a web developer for your project, we encourage you to come talk to us here at Creative Impact Solutions… we would love to talk to you and prove to you that you should… Choose Creative!