Unless you happen to be a web developer yourself or a very savvy amateur, you’re very likely going to have to hire a web developer to create your website for your business. The trouble is, how do you know which one to hire? The key is to hire someone whom you can trust and who has the skills and the vision to create the website you need. Here’s how to do that.
First, you’ll need to know exactly what you’re looking for. Be specific. It’s not enough to say you need a web developer. What does that mean to you, really? Not everyone who calls themselves a web developer will do the same thing, so it’s important to understand exactly what you are looking for. There are several basic types of web developers, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
WordPress experts are those web developers who know the ins and outs of WordPress, and how to modify it to meet each client’s needs. They know all about the available plugins and which ones may best suit and benefit your business. The primary advantage to hiring this type of developer is that they are the most affordable, and they can create a beautiful WordPress site for you. On the downside, their skills and knowledge typically limited to WordPress and they may not be well acquainted with HTML. This means that the customization of your website may be limited to what WordPress offers. In some cases, that will be just fine, but in others, you may want a more custom look, feel, and functionality for your website than a WordPress site can offer. Hire this type of web developer when you want a beautiful, functional – if not fully customizable – website.
Another step up the ladder is a programmer-style web developer. They have much tech knowledge than a WordPress expert, as they understand fully how to use programming language(s) for web development. The problem with this type of developer is that they typically focus on function and form, rather than on aesthetics. They won’t focus as much on branding and design, so if that’s something you are looking for them to handle, perhaps this type of web developer isn’t the best fit for you. However, if you have a large of complex website in mind and you have specific customization needs, a programmer will be able to give you what you’re looking for. This is a good choice, for example, if your website includes a complex collection of membership records. If you are savvy enough, you can always make it pretty yourself, or hire another, less costly, developer, to do that work for you.
Finally, there are those web developers that do it all. They know the basics of WordPress and of programming language. They can both develop and design a good website. The problem is, they aren’t an expert in either the technical side of things ore the design aspects – they are merely good at both, not stellar. You may still end up needing to hire someone else to do some of the work for you, filling in the gaps in the developers’ experience. If you are going to hire this type of developer, be sure you are aware of their limitations and where you may need to hire someone else to fill in the gaps.
You can also opt to hire a full-service web development agency. The primary benefit of this approach is that you aren’t just hiring one person; you are hiring a team, made up of people with different skills and strengths. That results in a well-rounded approach to your web development campaign, with areas of expertise including web design/layout, copywriting, lead generation, audio-visual editing, search engine optimization, and more. Before you hire an agency such as Kamil Web Solutions, be sure to ask a lot of questions. Find out exactly what areas of expertise their team has, so you will know whether it is a good match for your needs.
The primary drawback of hiring an agency is the cost. Some agencies charge high-end prices for their services, but if you can afford it, they are worth it. However, there are some very reputable companies that charge reasonable prices. The best way to find one of these is to get word-of-mouth recommendations. Failing that, do some research yourself, but bear in mind that anything you read online should be taken with a grain of salt. Remember: You don’t know who really wrote those reviews! Hire an agency if you are just starting out and want to hit the ground running, or if your existing business is starting to stagnate and you need to shake things up a bit. In either case, an agency like Kamil Web Solutions development agency can be a huge asset to your business.
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