Technology

Questions to ask when shopping for a web developer

Posted by Pixafy Team

Questions to ask when shopping for a web developer  |  Pixafy.com

Okay, so, you have a great idea for a website or app? Or perhaps you have an existing website/business that you want to take to the next level, but you don’t know the first thing about making a website? We’re here to help!

Of course, we can actually MAKE your site come to life, but if for some reason you decide we’re not the company for you (which is hard to believe) you should still read this post to help figure out how to choose the right team to build your website!

First off, when talking to a potential new customer that has an idea for a site, I like to ask them the following questions:

Do you already have a website? If not, do you have any mockups of what the site will look like and do?  Or, if you don’t, what websites do you really enjoy looking at?

  1. Who’s your target market?
  2. Will your site require a shopping cart/checkout?
  3. What’s your timeline?
  4. What’s your budget?
  5. Will your site require maintenance after it goes live? Or will you be making the changes yourself?

When/if you’re able to answer these questions, a good web designer/development team should be able to further coach you on your path to the website that you’ve been dreaming of. And, if they can’t, well, you’ve gone with the wrong team! And get out now!

If YOU can’t answer at least 5 out of 6 of these questions, then it makes sense to work out those questions internally before seeking more information from companies who will potentially build it out.

Alright, so you were able to answer those questions? Then it wasn’t just an impulse buy! Perfect! Now, you might be asking yourself, “What’s the next step?”

I can’t say it enough! DO YOUR RESEARCH! When looking for a team to design and develop your site, (which more than likely also is your business), first go through their site and ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Do they even have a website? If so…
  2. Is the site easy to navigate?
  3. Is the text easy to read?
  4. Are things aligned properly?
  5. Are the pages and overall design consistent?
  6. Is there enough (relevant) information on the site (e.g. about section, contact page, employee bios, portfolio)?
  7. Do all of the pages load (no errors) and more so, do the pages load quickly?
  8. Overall, would you say that you LIKE the website?

If you were able to answer yes to all the questions above, then I would go ahead and say that this design/development team will more than likely be a good fit for you! However, if you don’t like their site, or perhaps their portfolio of the ones they’ve created (or their lack thereof), you probably won’t like the one they create for you!

Think about it this way, when you go shopping, you know your style and favorite stores, so why would you go into a store where all you see displayed in their window is absolutely horrendous ?! And then proceed to spend all your money there?

Window shop, see what you like, try it on, and if it feels right and makes you look great, then make the purchase. Remember, there might be 100 different shops selling blue jeans, but there may only be one shop that sells the brand that you are looking for!

Questions or comments? Share them below, or tweet us @Pixafy!