How to get the most out of your web developer
(Without threats of violence or court orders)
After reading this article “If Architects had to work like web designers” I thought it would be a good idea to communicate what it takes to effectively work with a web developer, since most of us tend to be a little ‘off’ in one way or another.
1. Account Executives – Kinda like a client-defense lawyer.
“I work with the damn clients so that the engineers don’t have to! I have people skills! What the hell is wrong with you people!”- Tom Smykowski, Office Space
At Belosic|ADG, we always strive to give our clients ’single point of contact’…one person who is the go between for the developers and the clients. The Account Executive’s (AE) sole job is to communicate for the client and translate their goals into a language that the developers and code guys can understand. A good AE will ask all the right questions and gain an in-depth understanding of the project so that many of the developer’s questions can be answered by her, without wasting the client’s time. With a good AE, you can pretty much ignore the rest of this post, but it won’t hurt to read it.
2. If you know everything, why do you need us?
- Trust the professionals-we do this all day everyday. Our testimonials speak for themselves. Don’t waste your time and money by micro-managing, that’s my job! Offer your opinions but also give the freedom to be creative.
- You should also understand that web developers must adhere to common rules, practices and limitations. Some technologies just don’t mix well, so there may have to be some compromises.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions and share your opinion. Be quick and decisive. Nothing slows down the momentum in a Web development project like an unresponsive and wishy-washy client. Developing a website requires a major commitment in time and money, but if you’re willing to put in the work, you will be rewarded with a beautiful website that boosts your bottom line.
3. Hosting Decisions — there aren’t any, use us.
Choosing the right company to host your domain name is one of the most important decisions you will make concerning your web site, mainly because you are setting up a long-term relationship. The hosting company should have the following qualifications:
- Verifiable history of up-time
- Posted price list with a description of what you are getting for that price
- Reliable customer service help via phone and e-mail
- Reliable technical help via phone, e-mail and web site
- Readily available instructions for configuring forms and e-mail for your site
- A system for notifying you if changes are made to the server that affect your site
We offer in-house hosting that meets these criteria, and a whole lot more. We can also work with almost any host you chose, but keep in mind that some of the development may be delayed or not possible at all. Depending on the depth and complexity of the project, we may need maintain more control over server-side functions, so it is best to use a host that we recommend. Be prepared for additional time and fees if we have to deal with some fly-by-night hosting company, there’s always a reason that they are so cheap.
If you use our hosting or a 3rd party- you stay in charge of reserving your hosting plan, and you are the one with the password and user name. As a business owner, you should have total control over your hosting account.
4. Backups – Get them before you need them
After you have gone to all the time and effort to get your information up on a web site, you are entitled to a backup copy of that site. This includes your web pages, your images, and all other parts of the site, including the navigational bars, forms, animations, etc. This not only protects the web developer in case the server and his/her machine goes down at the same time but it also prevents you from being held “hostage” to your web host.
5. Copyright and Ownership
- The copyright and ownership of the site should revert to you as soon as the designer has been paid.
- Ensure that even those graphics which have been created specifically for your site are yours once the site is complete and payment has been made.
- If you chose not to pay, be forewarned that we reserve the right to retaliate and post your cell phone number and “Call for a good time” on your homepage. :)
- It is also a good idea to ask about the developer’s use of any purchased images, third party scripts, programs, plug-ins etc and what copyright restrictions, if any, apply to them.
- We always license our images a 3rd party resources properly to make sure that we’re all ‘in the white’.
6. The Final Decision – apples to apples
We can’t compete with the “$29.99 Design-it-yourself website!”…nor do we want to. There is so much more to a website than most people care to be aware of, and do it right takes talent and experience.
Maintaining a site will continue for a far longer period than creating it, so a quote that includes training or a system which simplifies updating may be better value than a cheaper ones which does not concentrate on these features.
Remember too that quotes are not necessarily the final word, it is a competitive market for web developers and they want your work. So if there is a quote you like but which seems a bit outside your budget contact the developers to see if there is anything they can pare off the quote price.
Give us a call- you can speak directly with an AE so that the engineers don’t have to. :)
