Choosing a website designer and developer isn’t as easy as finding a plumber to fix a leaky tap. Whereas plumbers may vary in the way they deliver their service, the end result is the same – a tap that doesn’t leak. This is unlike the job of a web developer, whereby the end result can be drastically different depending on the skill and experience of the website developer.
With that in mind, here are some of the things to consider and research when choosing a website developer for your next website.
Social proofing is a well-understood concept in psychological research which states humans try to mimic the behaviours of other humans. For example, think of a time you felt uncomfortable and didn’t know how to act. You probably looked at the people around you to see what they were doing – and then copied their behaviours.
The same occurs in marketing which is why we choose to buy products with scores of positive reviews over unreviewed products. But this doesn’t make it a bad idea. You should check out the web development businesses you wish to engage with by researching their latest reviews, especially how they reacted and responded to negative reviews.
Moreover, check out their social media pages to see what people are saying about them outside of reviews. This is a good way to verify if the business is legitimate – but don’t rely on it completely for this reason.
An extension of social proofing, but also a way to get a feel for the developer’s work, is to look for a public portfolio. This may be promoted as exactly that – a portfolio – but it may be referred to as case studies as well. At WEBPRO Creative, we have portfolio examples but we publish case studies of our work too.
Portfolios usually feature on the developer’s own website or can even be a separate website exclusively used as a portfolio. If a web developer isn’t able to show examples of their work, it’s probably time to look elsewhere.
Most website developers will operate across industries, allowing them to cast a wider net and work with a range of clients. However, not all web development agencies work this way, with some specialising in a handful of niches like our team at WEBPRO Creative. We have people in-house who have worked extensively in different sectors, from finance to education. This allows us to provide industry-specific service and help clients gain an edge through long-term insights. Using an industry-specific web developer isn’t always essential but it can be beneficial.
Choosing a creative agency over a web design agency allows clients to conveniently get all of their online needs under one roof, with established professional relationships making processes easier. WEBPRO Creative is a creative agency that provides everything from web design, hosting services, content creation to marketing and caters to ad-hoc requests to boot!
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