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Questions To Ask a Web Development Company before Hiring

Hiring a web development company for your business can provide you with numerous benefits. Remember that digital marketing is the norm nowadays, and for you to stay above the competition, you have to be digitally competitive as well. However, with the numerous web development companies present today, you need to make sure that you are, indeed, dealing with an expert.

If you are in the process of hiring one for your company, it is crucial that you lay your cards on the table and ask all the questions that you need to gather for more information. Here are some of these questions:

1. What services do you offer?

Web development is a broad idea, with numerous facets regarding the same. Hence, when you are in the first stages of meeting with a possible web developer, do ask about the specific services that they offer. It is best to have this laid out and cleared out early during your meeting process so that you are aware if the services they offer is what you are looking for in particular. For example, possible aspects of web development include:

  • Copywriting
  • Digital marketing
  • Web design
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Although the above-mentioned services may seem like they are all closely related to each other, in reality, they all require specialized skills and techniques that need mastery. You need to ensure that your needs are aligned with the specific services that the web developer offers.

2. Can I have a look at your portfolio?

The best way for you to check for the actual results of previous clients catered to by the web development company is to ask for the portfolio of the web development company. It is here that you can check to see if the previous works of the web developer that you are looking to hire are satisfactory or not. When you look at their last works, too, you can check to see if the web developer is capable enough to create a unique and entirely diverse web design for you, one that is not like all the other websites that they have developed as well.

When you check the portfolio of the web developer, you will get to see their previous clients’ profiles and web designs. Here, you might also have access to their ratings and recommendations so you can have an idea as to whether or not these previous clients were happy and satisfied with the web developer.

3. What strategies will you have in place for my needs?

The web developer that you are meeting should have result-oriented strategies. What does this mean? During your meeting, the web developer should already be able to provide you with clear-cut strategies based on the following that you have presented:

  • The goals that you want to achieve
  • The problems that you want to solve

The web developer that you will hire should have your goals as their goals as well. In this manner, it means that they have your needs and your best interests at heart. For example, if your target is to generate more revenue for your company through the website that you are asking to be made, the web developer that you are meeting with should be on the same page, too.

4. Do you have experience making websites for companies in the same industry as ours?

Apart from having numerous clients in the past who were consistently satisfied with the job that they do, you should also ask if this company has previously had experience in creating websites for a company like yours. If the web developer has this, then that should be to your advantage. This means that the web developer has enough skills and techniques to know how best to make your company succeed—a trait that is especially important if you are a company that needs specialized skills.

5. Will you be willing enough to first study my company’s old website before making an entirely new one?

Various developers naturally have their own techniques, and this is something that both you as the client, and them as the developers, have to agree on mutually. For example, some web developers will immediately jump into the task of creating an entirely new website for you. Sometimes, this may be a bad thing, especially when you, as the client, will want to know what the strengths and weaknesses of your current site are before you make any of your changes.

Hence, during your initial meeting, set the record straight as to what the strategies of the web development company are. They should be able to explain what your current website’s metrics analytics are trying to say, so that as the owner or part of the management team, you will also be aware of these strengths and weaknesses.

6. What is the cost of your total package?

Apart from everything else that you are going to inquire about, one of the most important considerations that you should never forget to set straight is the cost of the services of the web developer. When you hire a web developer, you will most likely be doing so on a retainer basis. Hence, before you sign the final contract of the undertaking, you have to first ask about the costs to double check if you can continue to afford it.

Most web developers will offer their services on a package deal basis, so ask, too, what is included in the package for the price that you are paying. This will avoid any conflicts later on, as you will know which services to expect. 

Conclusion

As you hire a web development company, you should think of them as your partner to help your business succeed. Both your companies will work hand in hand towards achieving your goals. They have the knowledge and the skill that you don’t have in ensuring that your website succeeds in its marketing plans. With this list of questions, you are better assured that your company is dealing with a web development company that is well-versed in their craft.

About the author

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Andrew Ruditser

Andrew Ruditser, Founder and Lead Technology Coordinator of MAXBURST, Inc., graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering & Information Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2003 and went on to start MAXBURST in 2007. Ruditser has been building lucrative Internet companies for over 10 years. In addition to his flagship companies; he also founded MAXPlaces, a B2B Intenet Marketing firm. He combines his love of technology and his talent for sales to create websites that are not only visually stimulating but focus on usability and ROI. His organizational skills and passion for his staff and clients contribute to the on-going success of MAXBURST. Ruditser fully recognizes the importance of being a full-service, state-of-the-art digital web marketing firm and is committed to staying on top of the very latest design trends and technologies.

Andrew Ruditser has appeared on Fox Business News, Newsday and Long Island Business News as an Internet development expert. He has also been honored as Long Island’s 40 under 40 outstanding Young Business Professionals