Choosing a Web Developer: How to Avoid Disaster
by Rick Green — Partner, Adventurocity Inc.

When organizations undertake to create a Web site, they often run into trouble because their contractors do not have the necessary experience or expertise to deliver an effective solution.

Creating a Web site is a multidisciplinary undertaking that involves editorial people, graphic designers, marketers, and programmers or, at the very least, people assuming these roles. Working as a team, these people follow a series of established development steps to arrive at the end result.

Before you award your site development contract, it is essential that you evaluate the developer's understanding of the methodologies and disciplines involved. Individuals and companies from a graphic design background may overemphasize site design; programmers often see graphic design as frivolous and may ignore it completely. In both circumstances, usability can be compromised.

Beyond expertise, you could also find your site development bogged down because the developer lacks the client relationship skills necessary to effectively work with you to translate your needs into a tangible result. Developers may simply do as they are told, which means you get the Web site you want, but not necessarily the one you need. When you later realize things aren't working as expected, it's back to the drawing board; it's better to get it right the first time.

If your understanding of the Internet and the World Wide Web is cursory, then you will likely rely on your developer to suitably advise you. However, if the developer hasn't taken the time, or isn't inclined, to understand your business and your customers, then it should not come as a surprise if your site does not perform to expectations or worse — you fall into an endless cycle of changes without, seemingly, nearing completion.

You can still run into problems with competent developers, but these may be of your own making. You should only engage a developer once you have clearly and thoroughly considered your reasons for going online, what content & functionality is required, and what resources — permanent and temporary — will be necessary for accomplishing your goals.

A Web site is not a brochure. It has the means to completely change the way you do business. Therefore, great care must go into its creation and adoption within your organization. Make sure all stakeholders are involved from the beginning. Once a consenus has been achieved on your online strategy and goals, only then should you begin actual site development.

At this stage, successful site development depends on choosing a suitable contractor, properly articulating to them your online strategy, and ensuring that you provide the developer with the necessary resources, guidance, and feedback in a timely fashion. As a team effort, everyone must do their part.

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