How To Hire A Web Developer Or Designer
Have you ever landed on a website and known right away not to trust its content, just because of how clumsy or antiquated the design was? We all have.
On the other hand, have you ever landed on a website and been amazed with how sharp it looked and how easy it was to use? It is obvious which side of that gap good business results lie on.
When building your business’ online presence, it is important to own a portion of your media, to have a core website or blog, and to make sure it reflects that doing business with you is a good idea. Whom you select to design and develop your site can make a big impact here.
Hiring someone to design and develop a website does not have to be rocket science.
Yet surprisingly, many people do not even know the difference between a web designer and a web developer. With this article, you will arm yourself with some basic knowledge that will make it easier to find resources for your web projects.
1. Understand What You Need
Before you approach web designers and developers (or issue a poorly written RFP), define exactly what you need.
Do you need someone to design your site, develop it, or both?
The difference is subtle but significant. Web designers create the visual look-and-feel of your website—what appears to the naked eye. Web professionals refer to this as the front end design. Web developers make the site work; they call this the back end or programming of the site.
The key is that many web designers are not developers, and vice versa. It is not uncommon for one person (a designer) to lay out the site in something like Illustrator or Photoshop, then pass along to someone else (a developer) to slice-and-dice the design and convert it into a working website.
If you hire a full-service web design firm, of course you should expect them to be able to handle both ends of the spectrum. However, buyer beware: not all web design firms are created equal! Some are better at the design end, and some are more technically proficient. You can often tell the difference by looking at their online portfolio. Does what you see blow you away visually, or are you more impressed with how their sites work in terms of ease of use, navigation and other key functionality?
2. Define Your Goals and Objectives
The number one thing you should do before seeking help is clearly identify your needs. Approaching someone with a vague statement like “I need a web site” is a waste of everyone’s time.
First, outline your overall goals (Microsoft Word or Excel documents will suffice in this phase). Use narrative descriptions whenever possible.
Ask yourself the following questions and answer them completely:
What do you need? Here are some high-level examples:
- Our site (include the current URL) is three years old. While the functionality is still good for the most part, we need to add some relevant functionality such as social media sharing buttons and links to our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We would also like a a cosmetic “refresh” of the site’s visual design.
- We are starting a company and will need a brand new website. Our company, Acme Widgets, will sell lots of widgets, so the site must provide e-commerce capabilities. Attached are detailed descriptions of what is typically contained in our products database, along with a sample flowchart of the site structure and desired functionality.
What will the site contain?
Next, develop a flow-chart of what you envision for your site. Identify all the various pages and sub-pages you will need. Web-based diagramming tools such as Cacoo, Gliffy or Jumpchart are ideal for this.
Sample web sitemap
It’s critical to describe what you need now, vs. what you may want to add in a later phase. For example, you may want to simply start with product descriptions and a contact form and/or phone number if you are selling products, then upgrade later to allow people to complete their purchases on the site.
Clarify any technical specifications you may have. Do you need (or think you need) a content management system to maintain the site? Will portions of the site need to be password-protected? Will it need to incorporate any other software from your business such as a SharePoint site or bookkeeping system? Who will host it, and what software platforms must be supported (if you know)? What software will be used by the designer and/or developer to build and maintain the site? Is the development software proprietary or open-source? What ongoing fees apply, if anyway?
If you are uncertain how to specify what you need, talk to someone you know who’s completed a similar project. Post a query on LinkedIn Answers or Twitter. If your project involves extensive functionality, you may need to hire an expert in Information Architecture (IA), User Experience (UX) or database development as an initial step in defining your project scope.
3. Determine Your Price
The classic conundrum is the client who wants a million-dollar website when they only have $1,000-$5,000 to spend. That’s why the phases above are so critical; the price you pay will based in large part on what you need. Don’t expect to get high quality on a cheap budget.
If you don’t know roughly what something should cost, do your homework before you start getting quotes. Turn to web-savvy friends, social websites, the library, trade magazines or the Small Business Administration. Describe your project and ask, “What should something like this cost?”
The benefit for doing this is three-fold:
- You will know if your budget is in line with what the marketplace charges
- You can use this knowledge to avoid resources that are outside your price range
- You can adjust your project parameters or expectations
4. Prepare a Request For Proposal (RFP)
A Request for Proposal, or RFP, is a document that outlines all the project requirements for the project you have outlined. It can be as simple as a brief introduction and a list of bullet points, or it can be a longer, formal document. In my experience, the more details you share, the better. Remember, your goal is to be very explicit and address as many “what ifs” as possible. Otherwise, you are going to invite a flood of clarifying questions when you start shopping for resources.
Some of the key items to include are:
- Project Title
- Project Overview (brief summary of what you need to accomplish)
- Project Background (more information about what has led to the project and what the parameters include)
- Specifications (this is where you elaborate point-by-point on your precise objectives)
- Project Constraints (state anything that must happen, such as deadlines, existing hardware/software that must be integrated, project assumptions, etc.)
- RFP Requirements (describe what you need to evaluate each response, including how they will handle the project, their line-item or per project pricing details, prior experience, legal considerations, etc.)
5. Find Resources
There are many ways to find good talent:
- Referrals From People You Know
- Referrals From People You Don’t Know (via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter)
- Your local library, Chamber of Commerce or SBA office
- Google search for professional organizations related to your needs
- General Online Marketplaces such as Guru or Elance
- Specific Online Marketplaces like Crowdspring or 99Designs
6. Contact References
After you have received, reviewed and narrowed down your choices to short list of candidates, contact their references. Listen for any hints of negative feedback. Do your own Google and social searches (such as Social Mention) to detect any bad feedback. Look them up on Dun & Bradstreet or the Better Business Bureau.
7. Get An Agreement In Writing
Once you have decided on a resource, make sure you get a signed letter of agreement or legal contract. This will protect both parties and help ensure there are no surprises as you enter into a working relationship. Consult an attorney as needed before signing anything.
To sum up, finding help for your web design and development projects shouldn’t be difficult. However, it does take work on your part upfront, and throughout the process, to make sure both you and your potential partners are clear on the objectives and expectations.
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Do you have other advice on how to hire web designers and developers? Please leave a comment below.
