Features - Technology
TECHNOLOGY: What you need from your Web guru
5/26/2010
Successfully find a developer with skills that will help a business owner like yourself.
We hear lots of war stories about successful Web sites, failed sites, failed web marketing efforts, and tech folks who can’t answer simple business questions – you name it. While most Web developers have at least adequate technical skills, they don’t seem to provide what many business owners really find useful: a voice on the other end of the phone that is friendly and knowledgeable. You’d think that wouldn’t be too difficult to find, right? Guess again.
So what’s a professional business owner to do when it is time to build a site? In this article, we’ll highlight some of the ways you can steer away from the wrong folks and find the right ones.
Knowing what to reasonably expect from a Web-site company can make all the difference in your experience with them. Ask yourself these questions at the beginning of the process:
- Do you need them for tech help, marketing help, or both?
- Do you want them to take care of the whole process, or just be a part of your process?
- Do you want to tinker with it when your site is completed?
- Do you want the web firm to be responsible for landing you new business and clients?
As with housing, let the buyer beware. A Web site firm can leave you with unmet expectations if the provider doesn’t match your real needs. Here are five common ways Web site developers disappoint their customers. Be aware of them if you care about how you are heard, understood, and served.
- Most Web site shops over-promise to get your business. Get promises in writing, especially if they promise immediate Web site traffic.
- Most Web site firms won’t take much time in educating you with key knowledge about your site and the Web. It is often not part of the price you pay or the service they deliver. But that knowledge is critical for you to get the most business from your Web site.
- Many Web developers use technical and Web site development systems designed to serve a general audience. Most won’t ask you very specific questions about your business – and as a result, the process may require more time on your part or produce a less targeted Web site.
- Most Web site firms build their Web business based on their interest in technology, not because they are interested in helping your business with technology-based marketing!
- Many people at Web site firms are hired for their technical skills, not their ability to talk in plain language with customers or to listen to their business needs.
Of course, not every company can get it right all the time. You cannot be everything to everyone. Neither can Web site providers. So, make sure you understand what exactly you are getting, why it’s right for your business and what the price really is before you sign on the dotted line.
Know that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. While the Web can be confusing and scary, hiring a Web firm is just like hiring a contractor. The key to picking a good one is finding one whose capabilities line up with what you really need.
Author Griffin Davis is vp of marketing for Market Hardware Inc. (www.contractor-websuccess.com) and contributed this article.