choosing the right partner for your website project

8/16/2019 Choosing the Right Partner for Your Website Project

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CHOOSING THE RIGHTPARTNER FOR YOUR

WEBSITE PROJECT

• Cutting Corners May Lead to Costly Mistakes

• What Type of Web Developer Is Right for Your

Business?

• Things every Company Must Do Before

Hiring a Web Developer

ROI = RESULTS ON INTERNET

Andrew Kucheriavy

http://intechnic.com/



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Choosing The Right Partner for Your Website Project

© 1997-2015, Intechnic Corporation. All Rights Reserved

Choosing the Right Partner

A successful website can literally turn your business around. It can help

boost sales, build awareness, enhance customer experience, reduce costs,

improve workow, and grow your business beyond your wildest dreamsand expectations. On the other hand, a poorly designed website can cost

your company more than your initial investment. It can cost you your job

or lead to your business’s failure.

No one person can successfully achieve all aspects of planning, design,

development and maintenance of a modern business website. Having a

reliable and experienced web development company by your side is critical

to the success of your business. You want someone who is experienced,

dependable and vested in your success. You want a reliable partner who

will work hard as an extension of your team.

Finding the right company to build and manage a successful business

website may not be easy, but if you invest the time and follow the advice

laid out in Results On Internet, the eorts and research you employ

initially will save you from headaches, disappointments and nanciallosses down the road.

Cutting Corners May Lead to Costly Mistakes

A web development company is one of the most important vendors you

will ever hire for your business. Selecting the wrong web developer isan expensive, time-consuming and sometimes irreparable mistake.

Businesses often underestimate the potential consequences of choosing

the wrong web development partner. Worse, many settle for mediocre

results. Consider this example:




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Meet John and Jen. They work in the same industry and in similarly sized

companies. They were each responsible for their respective company’s

website. A year ago, it became clear to the business management of both

companies that their websites were underperforming and were ineective

in generating leads and in converting visitors into customers. John and Jen

were each tasked with having their websites redesigned.

After six months, Jen’s new website had generated $500K in additional

sales, where John’s had generated an extra $10K. The dierence in their

website-generated sales was due to the sales and marketing performance

of the websites. Remember, Jen took the time and eort to select the right

web developer and worked hard with them to design an eective website

that targeted John’s ideal customer base. John used a hands-o approach,

deferring completely to his sub-standard web developer, who gave him

a generic, template-based website, which ultimately did not deliver

expected results.

Jen took the time and followed the

steps fully explained in this book

to hire the best web developer

her company could aord. After

creating a comprehensive plan,

Jen’s company retained a webdeveloper for $100K and worked

closely with the team to build

and market a website that was

specically designed to increase

the company’s sales within six

months following its launch.

John took a dierent approach.

Without doing his homework, he

quickly looked at a couple of rms

and selected a developer who

oered a “simpler” solution at the

lowest price of $10K. John thoughtthe web developer he selected

was adequate to achieve expected

results.




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At rst glance, after spending $10K for the website it might appear that

John broke even. In reality, John’s company suered a signicant loss.

When Jon’s lost sales are brought into the calculation and the cost of

redesign by a better website developer, the actual loss is clear in the

analysis below:

At this point Jen is enjoying a $400K return on investment, where John’s

haste has cost her company $140K. The dierence in their bottom lines is

a staggering $1 million. Beyond the monetary loss, John has realized an

irretrievable loss of time, reputation, his company’s stunted growth, and

countless lost business opportunities.

Jen John

Initial Investment (Cost) ($100,000) ($10,000)

Website-Generated Sales (Gross Revenue) $500,000 $10,000

Return on Investment (ROI) $400,000 $0

Cost of John's Lost Opportunity ($490,000)

Cost of John’s New Website Upgrade ($100,000)

Net Profit (Loss) $400,000 ($590,000)




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What Type of Web Developer Is Right for Your Business?

Throughout the book I will be referring to your website partner

as a “web developer”. While terms “web developer” and “web

designer” are often used interchangeably, there is a subtlebut important dierence between these roles. Web designers

traditionally focus on the design and visual aspects of the

website, where web developers also focus on the underlying

technology in addition to web design. Often web designers come

to web developers to help turn their vision into a technical

reality. Since most websites today are complex systems that

require a great deal of technical skill, I prefer the term “web

developer” as a more encompassing description of the right

vendor for your website.

Before you start your search for a web developer, it is important that you

understand the fundamental dierences among types of rms. If you

don’t understand how web developers are designed to operate, you risk

hiring a rm that is not compatible with your project’s needs. If you hire

the wrong web developer, the company will not meet your expectations,and you will incur additional overhead — bridging gaps in qualications

and communication.

It is important to understand that there is no right or wrong web

developer style or type. Your decision in selecting a company should

be based on a number of factors, including the skill set and capabilities

your business requires to reach its objectives, budget, and compatibility

between the main contact of this rm and your project manager.

Let’s compare types of web developers so that you can determine which

one is the best match for your project:




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Freelancers vs. Full-Service Agencies

Building a world-class website requires a team of experts with many

areas of expertise. One person simply cannot do it all (or cannot excel

in all areas). Why? Here is an example. Would you hire just one person

to build an entire house for you from the ground up: obtaining permits,architectural design, foundation, plumbing, electrical, roong, painting

and decorating? Can you imagine the nished home at the hand of one

individual attempting to fulll all these elements of construction?

A world-class website, the kind of website that can actually

achieve your business goals, is not a one-man job. It takes a

small army of professionals, each with their specialty, workingcompatibly over an extended amount of time.

Successful business websites require business-minded project managers

who can delegate projects eectively. They work with market research

professionals who study the needs of your customers. The team often

includes copywriters, who design customer-centric messaging based on

conducted research. Usability experts create user-centric experiences.

Following this phase, art directors and designers transform these plans

into eective designs. Coders and programmers convert designs into a

functional website, which, in turn, is tested by quality assurance teams.

Driving trac to a website is the job of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

and Social Media Optimization (SMO) specialists. System administrators

ensure the website is fully operational around the clock, and account

executives manage client communications. Some projects may require

additional services from photographers, illustrators, videographers, voice-over artists, post-production specialists, animators, data entry personnel,

mobile marketers, IT strategists and security experts. The list of specialists

grows depending on the complexity of the project.




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Similar to building a house, building a world-class website requires at least

a dozen professionals, each hand picked for their expertise. Most projects

require even more skill sets and resources. While it is feasible that one

person can be functional in all of these areas, it is unlikely that this person

will be an expert in all and able to multi-task eectively and eciently.

Professionals devote their careers perfecting one skill, and when they are

placed in a team, the collective talents of these world-class skills blend

into a world-class website creation.

A classic conundrum is a company trying to improve its website

by tasking an in-house “all-around website expert,” who will be

responsible for the entire website. Let’s call him “Bob.” Bob is

tasked with all aspects of project management from inception tocompletion with little or no assistance from other sta or outside

professionals. Would you trust Bob with all the vital functions of

your business? Many businesses make this mistake.

It is wise to hire outside professionals for the expertise you

don’t have in-house, but don’t do it blindly or hastily. Ensure

clarity on courses of action in all phases of project management

and full skill sets of all parties involved, including vendors and

subcontractors.

Your website’s production is only as strong as its weakest link. If you hire

a single individual to complete your entire project, it is likely they will

have to outsource some of the tasks. If they focus strictly on cost-eective

measures and cut corners on talent and resources, the unfavorable result

will fall on your shoulders. You may nd yourself managing eorts in anindustry where you lack expertise.

Unlike freelancers, agencies are full-service strategic communication

rms that employ a range of professionals with top-notch levels of

expertise to achieve a successful website. A full-service agency should




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capably manage all your site development needs, allowing you the time to

manage your company operations.

Working with an agency is typically more expensive. An agency has

employees and a greater overhead, so more expense is incurred, but in

doing so, you are hiring a managed and controlled team of professionalswho should deliver professional results. Because agencies typically oer

the greatest depth and range of experience in multiple disciplines, it is

well worth the investment.

There is a third course of action. You may choose to act as the project

manager of several freelancers. In this scenario, you will hire, supervise

and trouble-shoot all aspects of the process. Project Management is askill itself and requires sound communication, resource management and

technical expertise.

The bottom line: Many brilliant people possess the above-mentioned

skills, but cannot eectively create a world-class website on their

own. If you want spectacular results, you must insist on stellarqualications in all aspects of your web project. When Intechnic

was in the start-up phase, I was building websites from ground up.

I had skills in design and programming, and created websites from

inception to launch, but I quickly learned that there were subject

matter experts who were better qualied in specic areas. I started to

delegate some phases of the process in order to grow with continued

success. I had to nd and retain these experts and then manage their

eorts. As a result, our collective body of work has thrived, we have

grown exponentially, and each new endeavor produces websites that

deliver business results. The most important advice I can oer is to

acquire an experienced team, where all members possess empirically

superior skills.




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Graphic Designers vs. Technology Firms

Have you ever heard people say they are more right-brain or left-brain

thinkers? The theory of right-brain/left-brain dominance was presented

in 1981 by Nobel Prize winner, Roger W. Sperry. His theory 1 claims that

creativity, communication and marketing tend to be right-brain activities,while technology, analytical thinking, and programming are more left-

brain functions.

Although the theory was recently debunked 2, many professionals in

the industry state that they are “more creative” or “more technical”.

The same applies to cultures within web development rms. There

are “creative” companies that specialize in design, marketing andcommunications and “technical” companies that specialize in

programming and technology implementation. This is largely due to

companies expanding their teams by hiring people who think and

perform like their leaders.

My company, Intechnic, began as a strictly “technical”

company. As we expanded, we hired right-brain thinkers to

improve our design and marketing capabilities.

Let me begin with creative companies for the following reason: with the

growth of the Internet, many design rms that traditionally specialized

in print became web designers overnight. Designing for print versus

designing for the Web are quite dierent. What looks great on paper does

not necessarily look and function well on a website. This is especially true

for websites that require interactive, advanced functionality. Becauseof their extensive experience designing for static media (paper), many

graphic designers struggle to master working with dynamic media (the

Internet). They often lack the fundamentals for creating online interfaces

1 http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/split-brain/background.html

2 http://healthcare.utah.edu/publicafairs/news/current/08-14-2013_brain_personality_traits.php

“ ”

http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/split-brain/background.html

http://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/current/08-14-2013_brain_personality_traits.php

http://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/current/08-14-2013_brain_personality_traits.php

http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/split-brain/background.html




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and the technical skills required to create what cannot be done on paper.

For example, a website designed with the “print” ideology may appear

great on the graphic designer’s printouts but will not display well on smart

phones and tablets, and conversely, an e-commerce store might take on the

appearance of a paper catalog. You can often identify such companies by

their own websites. They focus on design and marketing and look more like

online brochures as opposed to having interactive functionality.

The dirty little industry secret is that technical work is often

outsourced to freelancers or partnering technology rms outside

their clients’ knowledge. Although a graphic design rm might

fully understand the marketing and communication aspects of a

website, behind the scenes the technical implementation may beoutsourced.

The technology-oriented companies often have the opposite problem.

These companies usually specialize in the implementation of IT

strategies, infrastructure and software development. IT companies

have strong backgrounds in technology and programming, and unlike

design companies, they are quick to incorporate the latest and greatest

technology, but they are lacking in design and marketing skills. If a website

was designed by a programmer (left-brain dominance), the website will

function awlessly but will not provide results in operational growth

or increased revenue. You can recognize such companies by their own

websites; they understand the functionality, but they don’t know how to

make the visceral or emotional connection with the visitor.




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Technology companies also try to compensate for what they lack by

outsourcing their design and marketing work to creative rms. The

problem with this approach (and the converse as well) is that two separate

teams work on your project, and the end result is directly related to how

well these entities communicated. Unfortunately, communication is often

lost in the abyss. Sometimes right-brain and left-brain dierences are

so vast that teams don’t even understand each other, let alone produce

eectively as a cohesive team.

Consider this analogy. Imagine having an artist

(Susan) and a rocket scientist (Frank) working on

John’s new website. Jen tells the team she wants a

world-class website. There is only one problem —Susan and Frank have dierent pictures of a world-

class website. Susan is inspired by the opportunity

to create a masterpiece. She already has visuals and

contemplates styles, colors and aesthetics for a true

work of art website. Meanwhile, Frank is thinking

horsepower. His website must be powered by the

latest propulsion system — exactly what will makeit world-class in his opinion. Frank needs room for

his big engine and is annoyed by Susan’s “artsy

stu” bogging down his speed. They both want to do

a good job for John, but their visions are polarized,

and they struggle to nd common ground. Susan’s

arguments are not well received by Frank because

he insists the website should be powerful and

functional (like NASA’s rockets). Susan perceives

the visitor’s experience as joyful and aesthetically

rich (like a museum piece). Eventually Susan or

Frank will have to bridge this chasm, but, will

compromise on both sides produce a website that is

ugly or dysfunctional…or both?




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Many creative and technology company partnerships do succeed. They

establish eective lines of communication and deliver eective results.

This level of communication often comes at a price, which is ultimately

transferred to you. Prepare to pay for redundancies like multiple project

managers and account executives on both sides. You will have two sets of

managers working on the same phases of production, and the challenge

of merging their work results in an additional expense because of these

duplicated eorts.

Full service agencies have left-brain/right-brain issues as well, but they

are on the same team and under the same management. They follow

the same procedures and protocols, which facilitate cost-eective

management and produces better results. In fact, that’s the whole ideaabout full-service agencies. They specialize in cohesively managing

creative and technical people under the same roof.

Local vs. Remote

The obvious benet of a local vendor is that you can meet face-to-face

with their team. Some people prefer to do business locally. It promotes a

sense of condence in the project to be able to view the on-site operation

and meet sta.

There is added benet to shopping for a vendor out of your geographical

area in that the pool of candidates is virtually limitless. There may not

be a web developer of the right caliber in your area. Do not settle for a

company because it is geographically convenient. Websites are tools that

allow your business to communicate with customers internationally.Website developers need to be specialists in communicating eectively.

They must have online systems for project management, le sharing,

customer feedback and project delivery, so close proximity to your

company is not an issue.




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While many prefer doing business face-to-face, the savvy business owner

must make a choice based on the caliber of the developer he selects.

Peace of mind is directly proportionate to the eectiveness of the team

you select, regardless of location. My agency, for example, has experience

delivering results throughout the U.S. and internationally, with no

compromise in product or service quality.

If face-to-face communication is required, international travel is well

worth the investment of both time and money.

Out of Country and Oshore Development

If your business is in North America, hire a developer in the U.S. or

Canada. There is also great work done for U.S. rms by web developers in

the U.K. and Australia.

When working with companies overseas, consider the following

important factors: a rm in India may oer top-notch talent and a

phenomenal price for your project, but these savings may accompany

signicant risks. Cultural dierences are vast. If your target market is a

customer base in Mumbai, an Indian rm would best serve your needs.

Can a web developer in Mumbai create an experience that will cater to

customers in Boston, New York, or Chicago? Do they fully understand the

nuances of connecting with customers across cultures? The price of that

question can be the cost of missed sales opportunities. Great websites

are created by overseas companies that conform to the very letter of the

contract, but depending on the product or service, they may not make aconnection with American customers.

Another important issue often overlooked is legal protection. In the U.S.

your company’s interests are represented by the contract you sign, and

you are protected by state and federal laws. If a legal matter arises in the




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business relationship, you have the option to defend your interests in

court. This may not be feasible or aordable in another country. While

there are services that oer international mediations, if litigation cannot

be avoided, favorable settlement can be challenging.

When communicating internationally, there is the inconvenience of timezones. It can mean a wait of several hours to get responses or feedback.

Finally, language barriers and cultural dierences can pose a problem

in communication and writing style. If your website developer speaks

English as a second language, it is imperative that the copy be written by

an expert writer with a full command of English grammar and sentence

structure. Stilted or awkwardly composed text clearly shows the readerthat the copywriter does not have command of the English language.

Poorly written copy (even the slightest nuance of incorrect wording)

kills the credibility of the website, and worse, may oend or mislead the

reader.




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Ten Things Every Company Must Do Before Hiringa Web Developer

Listed below are solutions that address common mistakes that people

make when starting their web developer search. Identifying these pitfallsbefore embarking on your research is key to your success:

1. Research several companies. Many companies rush into hiring the

rst web developer they nd without due diligence. Sucient time

and eort must be invested in the beginning of the project to insure

against lost time and money in the end.

2. Dene clear and specic business website objectives. A businessowner needs to be fully cognizant of what is expected from the website,

or it will fail. “Building a better-designed website” is not a specic

objective. Website objectives must always be specic and measurable.

3. Create a thorough written RFP. A request for proposal (RFP) helps

you dene and outline your business objectives. It communicates

your objectives to prospective vendors and provides a benchmark forselecting the appropriate web developer. If an RFP is not in place, the

selection process may be more time-consuming and less eective.

4. Establish a full understanding of your web developer’s methods

of operation (freelancer vs. agency, creative vs. technical, local vs.

out of area). There must be a clear understanding of the variables in

web developers and details showing how these variables may aect

all aspects of the project. If clarity is lacking on this level, the resultsmay not be cost-eective and ecient, and may cause additional

recuperative overhead.




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5. Retain a developer with a full range of qualications and expertise.

Building a successful business website requires a team of experts

across multiple elds. Your website is only as strong as its weakest

link. Hiring someone who lacks the proper expertise or experience

will result in either the project’s failure or additional resources and

time in reparation.

6. Invest sucient time and research in making this important decision

after fully determining all qualication criteria. Making a decision

purely on a proposal while overlooking other important factors (such

as web developer’s own website or recommendations) may result in

hiring a rm that is not the best match for your project. You should

always set your own criteria for objective evaluation and an eectivedecision making process.

7. Hire a company that has a broad range of specialties. Beware of a web

development company that specializes in just one or two industries and

builds canned and generic websites. Many such companies are “one-

trick ponies” that use templates and oer cookie-cutter solutions.

8. Ask for recommendations. How can you be sure that the experience

promised in the presentation will be the same after the contract is

signed? Your prospective web developer’s previous clients will agree

to provide references if their experience went well.

9. Get it in writing. A written contract protects both parties and helps

ensure there are no surprises or potential disasters as you embark on

this working relationship. A contract is necessary to prevent exposureto risks.




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10. Budget appropriately to your expectations. While the budget is a

major concern, it should not be the main criterion for selecting your

web developer. The old adage is true: “You get what you pay for.” Do

not make your decision solely on price, but hire the best professional

within the constraints of your budget.




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Recommended Further Readings:

How to Dene and

Communicate WebsiteRequirementshttp://resources.intechnic.com/requirements

How to Find the Best WebDeveloper for Your Websitehttp://resources.intechnic.com/search

How to Objectively EvaluateWeb Developers & WebsiteProposalshttp://resources.intechnic.com/choose

http://resources.intechnic.com/requirements




http://resources.intechnic.com/search



http://resources.intechnic.com/choose













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WE ARE INTECHNICIntechnic is a full a service Web Development company oering an

extensive range of Internet services to businesses and organizations

around the world. We specialize in web development, strategy, usability,mobile, marketing, hosting and more. Intechnic’s industry-leading

team is at the forefront of pioneering results-driven Internet business

solutions and technologies.

We Deliver ROI(Results On Internet)

For more than fteen years, Intechnic has been

helping leading companies achieve

the results they want online.

Every day, millions of people use the verywebsites that we’ve developed and the Internet

solutions we’ve researched and pioneered.

By Calling:+1 847 970 6190

or visit

www.intechnic.com

Start Getting Results

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