As if to supplement the digital era, there has been a mushroom growth of web design and software development companies all over our lonely planet. Some are large, busy corporate show houses, some small, relaxed but efficient one-man shows. Then there are professionals and freelancers ready to give their life-blood in exchange of a lucrative assignment such as creating a website for someone. Over and above, there are a handful of traditional creative/ marketing agencies that also provide web design and development services as a side line. Under such bewildering backdrop whom would you select to work with to create the most essential part of your online business, namely the website? Nevertheless, it is time to collect your scattered wits and pay attention to the tips outlined below and get the most elegant and effective site for your company.
Tip 1: Freelancers?
Appointing a freelancer f
or developing your website would no doubt put lesser strain on your pocket but how can you be sure that the candidate is competent enough to build you site well, especially if your business does not cover run of the mill items. Besides, building a website entails too many issues – some technical, others involving artwork, typography, etc. A single person may not be able to have command over all of them and end up in a mess. Of course you can ask for examples such as sites created by him/her in the past; but then how could be sure of the veracity of his/her statement? Nevertheless, you can try out for once, since the charges will mostly be nominal.
Tip 2: Company/Agency
It would probably be prudent to delegate the job to a reliable responsive web design company or agency that specializes in building websites for startups and the likes. However, don’t get carried away by gleam and glitter amply exhibited at the front desk but look for specialization instead. For instance, if you are looking for an ASP.NET development team, make sure they support the technology. Alternatively, if you favor PHP, ask clearly whether they have the necessary infrastructure to provide that. However, some companies/agencies support a wider range of technologies (Linux. PHP/MySQL, etc) but not others and hence it would be appropriate to know beforehand how they propose to handle your job.
Tip 3: Look for qualification/ Experience
When selecting a company or agency to build your website, make sure that the unit is run by qualified people who have the necessary expertise to create an outstandingly rich SEO-friendly site. For instance, if you want a site for your online store, they must know how to build and develop e-Commerce sites. It, however, becomes far more complex if you intend to have Responsive Design for your site. The design for instance starts with a sketch, a wire frame or a mock-up and comprises tools such as wirefy, PureCSS, etc. The crux of the matter lies in getting the basic layout appropriately aligned for a variety of mobile devices and so the company/agency must be familiar with those issues properly. You may also check out whether the company/agency will be able to build custom functionality when needed or will they resort to finding plugins to install?
Last but not of least significance are the references, which will clinch the matter. But don’t settle for generic enjoinders – ask for specifics. Look for earlier clients’ projects that were similar to that of yours. If satisfied, go for it whole hog.