Creating a website will take several hours, probably days, of your time. If you can't afford
that time, have not-so-hot computer skills, need advanced programming, or are simply not interested, there
are thousands of developers who can set up a website for you.
Many "companies" are actually single person freelancers, working out of a home office.
The advantage of working with a freelancer is that the cost is going to be lower than going with
a website development company with employees and an office as overhead. The disadvantage is that
your developer may get sick, delaying development, or quit the business altogether. With a company
you have more assurance of continuity.
It's a buyer's market for web designers right now. You can get a good web developer
to set up your site very reasonably. The hard part is figuring out which are the
good web developers.
A good website developer should provide all of the following:
-
Graphic design, also known as "look and feel"
A good designer should be fluent in Adobe Photoshop© and Adobe ImageReady©, or in Macromedia's Fireworks.
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Page creation
Ask whether the company develops in native HTML or uses a tool such as Front Page.
Such tools produce bulkier, and therefore slower, pages. Besides, someone who is not intimately familiar
with the tools of web production is not rea-ll-ly an expert, any more than a
guy who sells pre-printed wills is really a lawyer.
-
Programming
There are a number of good programming languages for the web. If you are tied to a
particular host, make sure your developer can program in the host's environment. The
biggies are UNIX vs. Microsoft. Of course, hosts are cheap and easy to find, so if
you really like a particular developer, ask him if he'll transfer your site for you to a
web host he's confident in.
-
Promotion, marketing and site optimization
Ask whether the developer knows how to optimize pages for search engines. For starters, ask her what a metatag is.
If she doesn't know, look elsewhere.
Also ask what your developer plans to do to publicize your site. Will he set up some link exchanges for you? Will he submit your
site to directories such as Skaffe and DMOZ? Again, if he's never heard of Skaffe or DMOZ -- look elsewhere!
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills
If you find a brilliant and talented web developer who doesn't abide by your wishes, you may get
a terrific site, but it won't be the site you wanted. You don't have to marry the guy, but you
do have to get along with him sufficiently to get the job done right. In addition to artistic and
technical ability, your developer must be willing to listen and to accept criticism.
How to Find a Website developer
One good way to choose a developer is to ask for a recommendation from someone whose
site you admire. It doesn't have to be someone you know in real life. Most people are
flattered to get an email telling them how much you like their site and would they please
give you the name of the developer.
Alternatively, there are
online directories, like the ones listed on this page, that
list web developers. Some of these directory sites give you the ability to request
quotes from several developers who will respond to you online. If you find a developer
on one of these directory sites, ask him or her for a
list of sites
they have done. Then
call or email the webmaster
or other contact person listed on some of those sites. Ask if those clients were satisfied
with the quality and timeliness of the developer's work, and whether the developer
showed an understanding of their requirements and a willingness to listen.
If you're willing to deal with people strictly by email, phone and IM, there are programmers in India and Russia who
charge very little. Many of them frequent these online directories, so be aware that the person answering your
bid request may be half a world away.
This is very important:
Make sure you get a written contract that
spells out precisely what your developer is going to do for you. If time is
of the essence, get some wording put in about time frames. And make sure your contract
states that
you own your name and the work the developer does for you
once you have paid her.
Some dont's in picking a website designer
Don't yield to the temptation of hiring someone without a track record, just because
they're cheap, or they're someone's nephew.
You want someone who will complete the
job when he says he will, and who will produce a professional looking website. Also,
you don't want any hurt feelings if you your friend's nephew does a rotten job and
you have to tell him so. Nor do you want to be reticent about asking for changes because
someone is doing the website for you as a favor.
Don't be impressed by awards.
They're easy to get.
For example, this site is an
Arielis
Top Site. Your site, too, can be a top site. Just follow the link and add your
site. They'll provide a graphic for you to put on your website in exchange for a link
to them.
Don't be impressed by a slick marketing presentation.
If the firm is dominated by
marketers, they may undervalue their technical talent. Some of the best companies
are two or three person firms whose members are all actual designers and programmers.
Three other things to consider:
One: A marketer is overhead for a design firm.
That means the firm that hires one has to charge you more to pay the marketer's salary.
Two: A marketer knows how to sell, not the nits and grits of how to make a website.
You might as well start the process with the person who's actually going to make the
website.
Three: You may love the marketer you meet with initially, but that's not the person you'll be living
with during the creation process. You need to be sure you can communicate with the person who's
actually going to do the work.
For more good advice from a very competent design company in Florida, have a look
at
Cen-net Associates.
For a listing of designers by location, go to
this site's web designer directory
Step 1: Pick a package OR
Websites
for fun