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SMALL BUSINESS
Doing homework helps enhance web projects
Web development companies are like doctors. You can try to avoid them, but chances are you will need to see one to fix one business ache or another. Whether you are looking to make simple enhancements to an existing site or planning to develop your industry’s category killer, here are a few suggestions to save time, add value and enhance your project. First, do your homework. You don’t need to be a computer scientist to go to your competitors’ sites and see what you do and don’t like.
Browse other sites that relate to your project or go to some of the big-brand sites, such as Amazon.
If your project is a back-end application such as an extranet, a secure web portal or other private-side project, type “extranet developer” or whatever is appropriate to you into Google and browse the results. Chances are, there are off-the-shelf systems with online demos that can help you clarify the features you need and the price you can expect to pay.
Secondly, write out the precise criteria for your project and specify what you must have, what you would like to have and what would be nice to have. If you’re coordinating a large project, this would take the form of formal design specifications or a request for proposal. If your project is small, this could be simply a list of desired functions and design criteria.
Ambiguity is expensive. Knowing precisely what features you want can help to significantly lower the estimate on your project. Clients who know what they want take less project management time and make price quoting easier because the scope is well defined. If the scope is poorly defined, web agencies will often quote high to avoid getting burned.
Be specific and include all the features you anticipate needing. If the developers understand your vision they can build a site designed for easy expansion.
Once you have defined your project specifications, you will need to find the right developer. Luckily, your business is located in Northeast Ohio, which has a vibrant tech community with many talented web development firms.
Although the web makes it possible to outsource your development to anyone in the world, from a practical perspective, working with a local company is highly recommended. There are times when you need a face-to-face meeting with your development team, and that simply can’t be done effectively with a remote developer. Additionally, local firms have added incentive to do a great job to protect and enhance their reputation.
In selecting the right firm for your project, keep these tips in mind:
Check out the firm’s site and visit the sites that they’ve developed.It astounds me how many web firms have poorly designed, almost amateurish web sites. Also, check out the firm’s portfolio of clients. Look for clients in your industry or sites that have the criteria that you need. Does the firm have a substantial track record? What is their average project size?
Get several quotes.Solicit quotes from several pre-screened developers and request that their estimates be broken into sections based on the list of design criteria that you provide. You may be surprised to find that a significant chunk of your costs result from a requested feature that is not crucial. For large projects, ask if there are off-the-shelf solutions that could be integrated easily and keep costs down. Many firms insist on developing all components from the ground up with every client. Sometimes this makes sense, but usually not.
Have a contract.Your firm will make a significant investment of both time and money in your development project. Protect that investment with a contract that precisely states the final product.
Clarify project management and content management responsibilities.Once you’ve selected a development firm, find out how their project management process works and try to follow it.
Ask any project manager what causes the most delays with a web site’s rollout and without fail the response will be “content from the client.”
Many people have reservations about writing content that will be published. My advice here is to have someone else do it if you don’t have the time, skill or patience. Ask your web firm what copywriting services they offer.
Keep in mind that unlike print, nothing posted on the web is permanent. So if you aren’t completely happy with what you have written, don’t worry because you can just change it next week.
Mr. Yakubovich is a partner at O-Web Technologies, an interactive media firm based in Cleveland. Reach him at alex@owebtech.com.
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