In this day and age, choosing a web developer or web development team can be tougher and more frustrating than online dating. Or so I’ve heard… Having been in the web development world since 2002, we have heard more horror stories than we can count! In this series of blog posts we will attempt to share with a you a few elements that we believe could help you choose the right developer from the start, saving you time, money and much frustration.
The first two elements covered in this series of posts – Communication and Experience are a great way to get a feel for who the developer is and the kind of work they produce. In my opinion, communication is one of the most important aspects to the client/dev relationship. After all, if the vibe isn’t right and the process isn’t fun, is it even worth exploring?
Communication
This element could be its very own blog post, or website or book. As a matter of fact it already is, many times over!
The chief complaint we hear from companies who feel frustrated with their current web dev team is lack of communication. Finding a team who is passionate about communication will radically alter your experience for the better. After all, you’re the content expert for your business. Everyone has a need to be heard and included, and that need is often exacerbated and therefore more relevant in business relationships.
Understanding how a potential web dev team communicates is something to pay close attention to and it can be analyzed from the very beginning of the relationship, here are a few things to look out for:
- How long did it take them to respond to your initial inquiry?
- Was the appointment setting process clear and efficient?
- Are they on time to the appointment?
- Are they asking questions about your project, to understand your needs?
- Are they listening intently and genuinely answering your questions?
- Are they stating facts and sharing information or simply selling their services?
- How was the follow up? Are the next steps clear?
There are many more elements that can be telling that you are dealing with an efficient communicator, or not. If in doubt, you can always refer to your best ally, your gut feeling. If the conversation was flowy, engaged, relevant and felt good, that’s probably a good sign that this could be the right team for you.
Experience
As Albert Einstein said, the only source of knowledge is experience. This is as true in the web development world as in any other realm. Sure there is a lot to be said about the eagerness, enthusiasm and gusto of someone doing something new, but they will inevitably trip on the various gaps present between practice and theory. There are many elements, of any process that can only be learned by doing, doing, doing!
All that being said, choosing a web development team with experience in the complex, technical processes as well as experience in working cohesively as as team will ensure you are putting your project in good hands from the start. Only a seasoned team can provide peace of mind and ensure your development resources are maximized.
These links to our portfolio and our services will illustrate perfectly the quality of work an experienced team can produce.
In the next part of this series, we will cover a couple other very important criteria for selecting the right web developer or web development team: Technical Proficiency and Business Acumen.