A website is the foundation of all digital marketing campaigns. It is an online representation of your brand and influences purchase decisions.
That’s why you need a good developer. Experienced and skilled developers will create a beautiful, informative platform for your target audience. It is beneficial to pay a little extra and hire a competent designer.
Unfortunately, most business owners don’t know how to hire a good website designer. They can’t recognize the warning signs and settle for the most affordable option. This article explains some signs you should keep on the look-out for:
Lack of Portfolio:
Most website developers have a portfolio. It showcases their past work and design abilities clearly. You can browse through the portfolio and determine if the design language suits your requirements.
This is one of the first things a prospective customer should check when they hire a professional. However, if the developer has no portfolio, you need to rethink hiring them. Even new designers will have some experimental projects and samples available. Some design their own website to ensure visitors can experience their work.
If you don’t see a portfolio, you have no evidence of their competence in this field. Building a website is a big investment so it doesn’t make sense to hire professionals without proof.
If the developer does have a portfolio, study it carefully. Make sure the design is suitable for your brand or industry before hiring anyone. You can also check to see if they have designed websites in the same industry.
For example, if you’re a real estate agent, you might want a designer who has experience with MLS listings and image-heavy websites.
Poor Communication:
Website design can take a long time. Clients and business owners deserve regular updates on their website development process. Unfortunately, many experienced web developers ignore this aspect of the service because they don’t understand the value of communication skills.
If your website developer isn’t accessible easily, you should consider hiring someone else. The warning signs for this include:
- Not attending to the phone during business hours.
- No response to emails or messages.
- Poor communication when they’re available.
- No updates during the development process.
All of these are alarming signs and can be an indication that the developer is hiding something. Lack of proper communication creates a lot of uncertainty, which isn’t suitable for business.
Check the website to see if they offer multiple communication options. For example, do they provide a dedicated phone number, email address, alternative phone numbers, and online chat support? Multiple communication options show the developer is willing to communicate.
Keep the time zone differences in mind when you hire a foreign designer for the job. They might not be able to communicate with you during your waking hours.
They Don’t Ask Questions?
Web developers need details regarding your brand, products, services, target audience, etc. This information allows them to create a custom website that represents your company well.
To get this information, web developers will ask you a series of questions. If they don’t ask you any questions regarding your requirements, it is a cause of concern. You can expect questions like:
- What are your goals for the website?
- Who do you want to target?
- Who are your competitors?
- What is your typical client or target audience like?
- What is your area of influence? (local, national, and international)
- Provide a brief introduction to your brand.
- Can you provide current website analytics?
These are just some of the many questions you can expect from a website developer. Questions indicate the developer is committed to providing a custom platform. They are focused on creating a site that fulfills your requirements well.
If your developer doesn’t ask similar questions, start looking at other alternatives.
They Don’t Provide Content:
A website isn’t just a series of pretty web pages tied together. It is a platform designed to provide information and help clients make the purchase decision. This means adding content to a newly constructed website is a part of the web development process.
Many web developing companies have their own in-house content creation teams. These teams create website copies, provide promotional content, and will even help maintain blogs.
Professionally written content has a big impact on marketing and brand reputation. Professionals know how to add a unique voice to the content and create pieces to keep readers interested.
Before you hire a web developer, make sure they offer content services. If they don’t, you might have to create the content yourself or hire someone for it. Creating content is a time-consuming affair, especially if you want to optimize it for search engines.
If the web developers don’t provide it, you will have hire freelancers to do it for you.
They Don’t Understand Marketing:
Websites are closely related to marketing. They need to be optimized for SEO, have landing pages for PPC ads, and include marketable content. If the website designer doesn’t understand marketing, they won’t know how to create an optimized website.
Look for developers who can create an SEO-friendly, mobile compatible website for your company. Ask them about technical SEO, website user experience, and other such influential factors.
Website designers who know marketing will know how to target your niche audience. They will conduct thorough research on your industry and competitors before creating a platform. This is an important aspect of development.
Using Outdated Technologies:
In the fast-paced world of the internet, you can’t afford to rely on outdated technology. People online expect websites to load in less than 3 seconds. You can’t achieve that with outdated technology and techniques.
If a website designer uses too many flash pages, creates separate pages for mobile, and doesn’t optimize images, they’re relying on old strategies. It is important for your website to be as current and optimized as it can be. That will impress visitors and have an impact on your reputation.
Conclusion:
So, if you see these signs in your web developers, start looking for alternatives immediately. That will help you save money and trouble down the line.
Also Check:
- Cloud Telephony helps your business grow. Here’s how:
- Comparison Between Tele Marketing & Email Marketing
