Choosing a Web Site Developer for Small and Medium Size Businesses

 Choosing a Web Site Developer for Small and Medium Size Businesses

Summary:

• Small and medium-sized companies know that they need an Internet presence. Customers are increasingly demanding it. There are thousands of "website designers" out there - how can you choose the right one for your business? Rose Marie Davidson, Certified Internet Business Consultant, lists questions business owners should ask before investing in their online presence.

Article body:

• You need a website, but how can you tell the difference between a professional business website developer and a college kid in his basement? The answer is pretty simple if you know what questions to ask. Professional website developers are just that - professionals. They have a college degree and/or experience in website development. They know their way around small and medium-sized businesses because they are probably one themselves. Most importantly, they speak to you in your language, not theirs.

• Buying a website is a form of advertising for your business. Would you pay to develop a radio or television commercial if you were not sure your investment would pay off? Why would you risk your professional reputation by trying to get the cheapest website just so you can put www.yourbusinessname.com on your business card? If you have seen the work of a website developer and the pages look good, do they include keywords, titles, and descriptions so that search engines like Google and Yahoo can find them?

These are some of the basic questions a professional business website developer should be able to answer:

1. How will you measure my ROI (return on investment)?

2. What information will be included in my monthly website analytics reports? The reports should at least answer these questions:

...a. What time of day do the most visitors come?

..b. Which search engines do they use to get to my website?

..c. How long does someone stay on my website?

..d. Which pages do they visit?

..e. Where do they go when they leave the site?

..f. What are the demographic characteristics of my typical online customer?

..g. Has my search engine ranking changed?

3. Is my website monitored around the clock with a guaranteed reliability of 99.8%?

...a. Are all links checked daily?

..b. Are broken links corrected?

4. How high is my conversion rate (how many potential online customers have converted into actual customers)? Furthermore,

...a. Why did they visit my business online?

..b. Were they satisfied with their buying experience?

...c. What would they change about my website?

5. How can you help me grow my business over time?

• If you are having trouble finding a website designer, visit the websites of your competitors or other local companies. Most reputable website developers list themselves and provide a link in the fine print at the bottom of the websites they create. Call the businesses whose websites you like and ask the owners if they are satisfied with their web presence. Consider hiring a website developer who is not located in your area. You should be able to get the information you need over the phone or in a web conference. Finally, ask for quotes with pricing from more than one website developer. The quality of the quote is a good indicator of the company's professionalism.

• Ms. Davidson is a certified Internet Business Consultant with WSI Advanced Internet Solutions. She specializes in developing Internet business strategies for small and medium-sized businesses to achieve a positive return on their Internet investments