Your website works a 24/7 shift, answers any questions your customers have, and closes new business. Often, your site is the only thing a prospective customer compares between you and your competitors before making a buying decision. The user experience (UX) will make or break a website’s effectiveness as your online home. How it’s actually built will make or break your ability to manage content, keep the site secure, and keep it up and running with minimal downtime!
We know it can be a daunting task to find the right web developer to help you bring your company to life online or relaunch your online presence. Here are some important tips to consider:
Good Development Means Nothing Without Good Design
The first impression a prospective customer will have of your brand often comes from your company’s website. A beautiful design that presents information about your brand in an engaging way is essential. Ask yourself, “Would I invest in interior design to improve the appeal of my office space or storefront? Does that have a real impact on how customers feel about my business?” Of course, the answer is yes!
Similarly, the aesthetic design of your website will affect the way your visitors think about your company. If you present a professional and consistent design, visitors will be more likely to expect that you apply the same care in providing products and services to your customers.
Usability is Paramount
In addition to giving potential customers a good initial impression of your business, your website will also act as a point of contact for customer service. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your site provides a stellar user experience right from the beginning.
For this reason, investing in professional UX design and quality coding to make your website enjoyable, efficient, and stable for your visitors should be a high priority for your company. When it’s easy for a user to find the information they seek or to accomplish a task using your website, that positive experience will be associated with how people feel about your brand in general.
Your Choice of Web Developer is Critical
At first glance, it can seem easy to evaluate potential web developers simply by looking at their portfolios. Be wary—a website can look beautiful, but be poorly coded. Ensure that the development team or web developer has significant experience building the type of site you need; with bonus points if they have experience that is specific to your industry. Also, if they are great at code, but not at design—engage a designer or design team to help.
Check references to make sure that previous clients have been satisfied. There is a great range of experience out there, and you want to work with a team that is properly trained and that has true experience. Resources don’t always need to be local, but we tend to find that in-person meetings with developers can help with communication of complex concepts.
Choosing the Right Technology
It’s important that your developer considers carefully which technology is best for your business. The sign of a good developer is someone who asks specific questions about your current website needs, and who also asks about your plans for the future. This shows that they have foresight and will take into consideration what it will take to keep your website successful and thriving over time.
Engaging in Ongoing Support
The best website in the world won’t be great for long without ongoing support. Make sure the developer you choose can continue to assist you in keeping your website safe, secure, and compatible. The number one complaint many organizations have with web developers is the lack of responsiveness to support requests. To maintain a good user experience for your website, you’ll want to be sure that the team you’ve select to develop your website will be there when you need them.
The Bottom Line
Plan to spend a little extra time choosing the right developer for your business. The investment will pay dividends, and provide you with an online marketing platform that can be built upon for years to come. The best websites are built by a team of designers and developers working in tandem with your business’ goals and objectives top-of-mind. Whether you go directly to a developer or through an agency that provides both design and development, make sure you see samples, ask questions about their experience, and check references. Also, make sure you like the team personally—building a website is not a one-and-done affair. You are going to have a relationship with your web team for years to come.
Need help finding the right web development team? We can help. To learn more, contact us: www.imbuecreative.com/get-in-touch
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