I have talked with many people who understandably, want the best value for their money. They hire a developer/designer to build them a site. Although they saved a lot of money, they are not happy with the end results. It looks ‘tacky’ or ‘template-ish’, almost like the site was pre-made but they simply slapped their logo on it. The site does not have the ‘look and feel’ and functionality which supports what their business or organization is about.
They may hire another developer after that for around the same price and end up with the same results. By now a year or two has passed. Time and money has been wasted all while showcasing their site in a less than appealing way to customers and potential customers.
If this sounds familiar, don’t worry. You are not alone. I have done similar actions but in completely different contexts. I did some home renovations a while ago. Although the results turned out ok, a professional could have definitely done a better job. I thought to myself “Is that how much a professional contractor costs?! I will just do it myself and save a ton of money!” . I spent a significant amount of time learning how to use some new tools and learning how the process worked. Even after all of that, I was still not able to learn the ‘tricks of the trade’ to get those professional results. After that project I now realize that there is not enough time in a lifetime to be an expert in everything. If you want professional results in a field you are not familiar with it is best to hire someone with that skill and experience. Much less stress, the project is completed faster and with much better results.
One thing I can promise you is that I will build your site right the first time and save yourself the stress, wasted money and lost business due to a broken or unappealing website. Take a look at the Building Websites 101 page to learn more about the different types of websites that are available and what Web Rock Star offers.
IT LOOKS GOOD, BUT DOES IT WORK?
It is important to make sure that the company or individual you work with has the technical knowledge to make your site actually work. Quite often, a company can create excellent visual designs and propose interesting and useful features. But when it comes time to ‘walk the walk’ and make those features and designs come to life in a functioning website, they are not able to do it.
Similarly, they may only have a general understanding of the technologies they are using for your project. This can result in a CMS (content management system) which is cumbersome and frustrating to use.
Be sure to see examples of similar functionality on previous projects to make sure the company / individual you are dealing with can actually deliver on their promise. Be cautious. The web industry is filled with people who can talk very confidently about topics they know little about.
I find data center devices and cables to be a good analogy for the inside of a CMS. After taking over many projects I naturally need to 'look under the hood' to fix any problems. This is usually what I find - only in terms of code not cables. (click for larger view)
Continuing with the analogy of data center devices and cable: This is how the the inside of a CMS Website should look like - again in terms of code, not cables. Easy to understand, maintain and extend. (click for larger view)
NOT ALL DEVELOPERS ARE EQUAL
I have met with some web companies and freelancers and are surprised to find they are still using technologies and techniques that are as much as 10 years old! In many cases they are very nice people and have the best intentions. Unfortunately, for one reason or another they have not upgraded their skills or kept up with the changing web technology. Unfortunately, the client can end up with a brand new website which is already 5 to 10 years old.
If the skills of the developer that is building your website are very basic you may end up with a “Frankenstein Website”. This is when pre made plugins are excessively used to do the most simple coding task. This usually results in an end product which looks very poor and is very difficult and messy to update and maintain. Ultimately, a ‘Frankenstein Website’ results is much more maintenance and upgrade costs after the project is complete.
Similar to a ‘Frankenstein Website’, some web companies may resort to using a scaled down or simplified CMS for your project when it is really not appropriate. They may not have the advanced technical skill on hand to use a more suitable CMS. Again, this can result in much more maintenance and upgrade costs after the project is complete.
Check out the what to ask when seeking web services page to learn what questions to ask when seeking web services.
WEB DESIGN IS NOT THE SAME AS PRINT DESIGN
There are many designers that are coming from the print world (brochures, posters, business cards, etc). Today, the demand for print designs are decreasing and the demand for web design is increasing. Naturally many print designers have transitioned into the world of web. Some of these people are able to understand the differences in these two mediums; They are able to produce excellent web designs which translate well into web code. Unfortunately some are not able to understand these differences. With web design, the amount of text in a ‘box’ may vary from page to page, page elements are usually managed through a CMS and there are some technical limitations as to what web browsers can do visually.
Make sure you verify the person or firm you are working with has experience in web design. A good give away that can determine if they are knowledgeable in what they are doing is what software they are using to create the designs. If they are using Adobe Illustrator for web design this is a good indication that they are not experienced in web. This software is mainly for print design. Adobe Photoshop is the proper software to be using when creating visual designs for web (with very few exceptions).
PEOPLE BUILD WEBSITES NOT COMPANIES
Keep in mind that a web company is just a brand. It is the people inside of that company that are actually creating your website. It is common for the quality of a web company to fluctuate as different people come and go from that company. Although their portfolio of previous project may be good, the person who actually did the work for those projects may have left the company. In addition, it is common to put junior or co-op students on low profile projects/websites which may result in errors or other flaws in your site. There is nothing wrong with this if the work the individual is doing is being overseen by a senior team member. After all, everyone has to learn somehow. However, in some cases the work is never checked by a senior developer because the company does not have the resources to perform this task. Web Rock Star treats every project with the attention to detail and respect it deserves.
COMPATIBLE WITH LATEST TECHNOLOGIES
More and more web users are viewing websites on tablets such as the ‘Ipad’. In many cases these devices and render websites fine. However, it is important to realize that there are subtle differences some web professionals may miss; There is no mouse. What do you do if you have any functionality on your website where something should happen when the mouse hovers over an item? Check out the Building Websites 101 page or the Different Companies, Different Services page. Notice how you require the mouse to hover over the table in order to move it back and forth? What happens when you view this page on a tablet such as the ‘Ipad’? Well, Web Rock Star has thought of these scenarios. If you view these pages on an Ipad (or similar) it displays a slightly different version of the table so users can still control the table without the use of a mouse.