The following is a list of common website creation mistakes. And trust me we know, and have finally fixed some of these…
1. Choice Of Technology
Often clients have already purchased or chosen a technology based on cost or previous development and then search for a developer. While there are many packaged solutions on the market, they are not always appropriate for customized solutions, and some require just as much development as hiring a web developer to develop from scratch.
2. Marketing Knowledge
Most web development firms just develop code. This means they are relying on you to decide to how to implement marketing solutions. An experienced web developer should have some knowledge of implementing marketing solutions. Make sure they understand your industry.
3. Interface Design Experience
A web development firm should have some experience in how web pages should be laid out. Like a building, a good website or web program needs to have an architect lay out the process.
4. Where’s The Content?
Developers who want to get a head start and develop the core of a website first will have to do more work later on. When the content arrives too late in the project, it may have to be redeveloped. Start with an outline of the items to be included.
5. Not Having A Clear Scope Of Project
If you can not develop a scope or plan for the project, it is important to find a web developer who can create a plan. This requires a developer who also has the skill to translate business concepts into technology. Most programmers will take your descriptions at face value, and will not realize till too late what processes or systems needed to be in place.
6. Choosing Developer Based On Cost
While web development does not have to be expensive ,there is no substitute for experience. The lowest cost might cost you more in the long run or sell you a pre-designed package that does not fit your needs.
7. Not Having A Support Plan
Most web developers want to develop a site and move on. Having a person to contact can make a big difference when a bug occurs or a changes are required. Who will you call if your site or application suddenly stops working?
8. Setting Unreal Project Timeframes
Web developers, like clients, will make intelligent guesses as to how long a project will take. Projects with more unusual requirements will take longer. Expect all projects to go 20% beyond the original estimated time frame. Leave time for unexpected feature creep.
9. Can Your Programmer Communicate?
Being able to clearly communicate with a web developer can make all the difference. Regardless of where they are located, being able to discuss a problem and solve it, is a key to completing web development projects.
10. Not Researching Available Packaged Solutions
Nobody wants to recreate the wheel. Packaged solutions are available and out there if you have a standard request. Developing ecommerce solutions, web analytics, bulletin boards and blogs are often best implemented with an existing package. Still, often customizing these packages is necessary.