How to Hire a Good Web Development Company

If you’re planning to build a website, you’d better outsource skilled and experienced developers. Even if you have an in-house IT team, a dedicated website development company might be able to deliver a much better product.

In this article, we’ll focus on the process of picking an ideal contractor and the specifics of modern website building.

Reasons for Having a Professional Website

Businesses of any size and from any niche need to have a professional website for the following reasons:

■ Boost their brand awareness

■ Expand their audiences

■ Establish themselves as industry experts

■ Enhance customer loyalty

■ Make more sales

■ Maximize ROI

When people want to find businesses from a certain niche, they begin to look for them in search engines. If they like your website at a glance, they will be more likely to place an order with you.

Web Design vs. Web Development

The terms “web development” and “web design” are often used interchangeably. Nevertheless, they aren’t full synonyms.

Web design services refer only to the looks of web pages. This type of activity is focused on creativity and making the site visually appealing.

Web development embraces both the looks and the functionality of the website. Developers  create the technological foundation of a web resource — and then, web designers make it more aesthetically attractive.

Two Layers of a Website

Each website consists of two layers:

■ Front end. It’s the part that the site’s visitors interact with. It includes the design, buttons, fill-in forms, navigation elements and so on.

■ Back end. This is the server part. It ensures the functionality of the website and isn’t visible to end users.

Both layers are interconnected.

Some web developers specialize in the front end and others in the back end. Development agencies have both types of professionals. Specialists who can handle both layers are known as full-stack.

Arguments in favor of Signing a Contract with a Web Development Company

You may entrust the task of creating your website to your in-house team of IT professionals. Yet it would be wiser to outsource developers because of:

■ Larger expertise. A team that has already delivered hundreds of websites realizes very well what clients want.

■ Excellent understanding of the current trends. Your IT department is not 100% focused on websites. Professionals who specialize in this sphere are much better aware of its most recent updates and requirements.

■ Better coordination of workflows. You won’t need to supervise all the stages of development. The members of the outsourced team will know how to organize the process and optimize the expenses.

■ Access to an extensive range of tools and technologies. People from your IT department know how to handle a specific set of instruments and frameworks. But dedicated web developers have a much larger selection of solutions at their disposal. They will pick those that are perfect specifically for your project.

A website that you’ll get will look nice and modern. Its navigation will be intuitive and its visitors will report a high level of satisfaction.

Timeframes and Expenses for Creating a Website

It takes around 3 or 4 months to deliver a simple website. It will cost you several hundred dollars.

If you’re planning to launch a complex portal that will have to cope with steadily high traffic, the development process will take a year or even longer. Be ready to pay dozens of thousands of dollars for that.

Top web development companies charge more than their lesser-known counterparts not only because their brands are more recognizable. Their workflows are better coordinated and their business processes are optimized.

How to Detect an Ideal Contractor

Top web developers have impressive websites. When you open a site of a leading development agency, you fall in love with its layout, visuals, texts, navigation and other aspects. You realize that you wouldn’t mind having a similar website.

The more tools and technologies the development team can handle, the better. They will be able to select solutions that 100% meet your requirements.

Before reaching out to a contractor, scrutinize their portfolio. How many completed projects are there? Do you like all of them? Has this company ever built websites for businesses of your size and niche?

The most expensive web developers aren’t always the best ones. They might be too busy with other projects and might make you wait. In this case, consider alternative offers.

Communication skills matter as well. How long will it take the contractor to reply to you after you get in touch with them for the first time? Are they polite and friendly? Do they provide you with exhaustive answers to the questions that you ask?

All the customer testimonials on the developer’s website will be positive. Check third-party platforms, such as Trustpilot, for negative reviews. If most clients leave positive reviews about a selected service provider, it’s a good sign.

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