What should we look for in a Website Development firm?
One of the major frustrations for clients occurs when they receive wildly varying quotes for Web design projects. One of the best ways to avoid this, and ensure the work is completed to the highest standards, is to specify accurately all aspects of the work to be completed.
The old cliché of comparing apples to apples rings true. Note down the exact specifications for the project, how many pages you require, how many forms, etc. Only by doing that will you ensure that everyone is quoting the same and only then can you really see who is the best value - without compromising on quality.
Having said that, we usually only establish the exact needs of our clients after several meetings and discussions. It can be very difficult for people inexperienced with the Internet to know exactly what can be done to serve best your specific needs. Beyond this, you need to consider various other factors.
These may include:
- Experience of the team.
- Expertise of the team.
- Past projects completed.
- Success of previous projects.
- References and testimonials.
- Equipment - does the designer have all the equipment nece ssary to complete all aspects of your project? This could include digital cameras, scanners and software.
- Specialist skills (i.e. Search Engine placement skills, 'Flash' programming experience).
A lot of people have Web design skills now. Why shouldn't we use a graduate who has these skills?
We do find that this is one of the most common scenarios we are presented with. Our answer is that design skills are only a very small part of Website development. It is no good having an attractive site if it does not attract visitors.
The process we go through in designing a site is exhaustive. Firstly, there are a series of meetings with clients to establish exactly what they want and need the site to do. Once the objectives of the site are clearly fixed, we research the target market and assess their requirements for such a site. We then establish a focus group of the target market that assists in the development of the site. This group completes a series of surveys to identify issues such as load time, copy effectiveness, navigational ease, and the quality of product presentation and overall design success.
In close consultation with our clients, we then move on to complete the look and 'feel' of the site.
The entire site is then reviewed via a complex process whereby a vast amount of technical information is gathered and assessed by our team.
Once the site passes a series of strict criteria, ranging from security issues, to navigational issues, to marketing i ssues, then the site is passed for hosting.
Clients are involved in the development of the site as much as possible, to ensure it meets the objectives set earlier and is a site of the highest standard
How long would it take to build a site as detailed here?
The site would be completed within three weeks from the order being received. The time of completion quite often depends on the time it takes to develop graphics.
Once the site is up and running, what do I have to do to maintain it?
The site needs to be marketed on an ongoing basis. Fresh information also needs to be put into the site to keep it up to date and interesting. You can do this yourself if (client company name) has the resources available in-house, or we would be delighted to be of a ssistance.
Is it important to get people to return to the site? If yes, how do you get them to return?
It is vital to have people return to the site again and again. Research indicates that people will feel more comfortable with your company and purchase products or services only after having visited the site seven times previously.
To have people return to the site we have to reward them. We have built-in some strategies to the proposed site that will aid repeat visiting. Other po ssibilities include:
- Interesting information regularly updated such as industry related articles, tips as said, etc.
- Links page containing links that appeal to the target market - once visitors know it is available they can return to the site to acce ss the links easily.
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