Everyone’s a web designer, it’s true. The likelihood is that as you are reading this that you either know a web designer directly or a friend of a friend is a web designer/ developer. So this poses the question; why not just use them, save a bucket load of cash and get the site you have always dreamt of?
Well, we need to weigh up the factors that make a great web designer and the factors that lead you to falling victim to becoming part of another horror story!
Just recently we had a client that had invested heavily with a friend overseas, got most of the way through the project only for them to let the client know that the most crucial part of the application – the last part was out of their capabilities. This lead them being in the hole financially with the threat of also not being able to find someone else to get them up and running for a critical launch date – except of course they discovered Neubreed and we got them across the finish line!
So what do you need to know so you don’t fall victim to this scenario?
Firstly, skills and experience. Anyone can claim to be a web designer, go to the local college, do a quick course use templates to set up sites and voila they are a web designer..uh no!
A true web designer understands the whole web development process. A good web developer will evaluate your ideas, make sure they are commercially viable, ensure your branding clearly conveys your businesses’ message to your clients, plan out the site architecture, and ensure the website is designed for the best user experience of your clients.
These skills are not obtained at a course but rather through years of experience and a serious set of skills in web development. But things go even further than this; the skill set of your web developer is crucial moving forward. You need to make sure 3 years from now they are capable of adding complex custom applications to your site as you grow your business requirements. So many times we hear the story that someone’s web designer friend promised them they could do everything they want only to find out halfway through the project they can’t help them and they are now months behind with a website that can’t be built.
Friendships and time frames. Because you are a friend of the web designer you are getting a great deal, mates rates. That’s great but inevitably that means you are not the first priority. Time ticks away and you are losing money by not having your site up and running. The more you bug your friend, the more annoyed they get thinking to themselves ‘you should be patient you’re getting a good deal!’ Soon friendships and time frames are both losing and you have to start all over again. Out of pocket on what you have already spent, what you have to spend to start over and a friendship that’s strained not to mention the goal to take your site live completely out the door.
Surely this isn’t always the way it goes. Of course there are many people out there who quite successfully have had websites built through connections or friends but the majority of cases we deal with are the result of a failed cheap website through these sort of channels.
At Neubreed our focus is on the big picture first. We don’t even quote your project until; we have worked one on one with you to understand the’ must haves now’ and the ‘be nice to haves’ later down the track. We make sure we have researched the market, that there is a calling for what you plan, an achievable way to take it to market and that you can monetize the site.
Our Drupal developers have been building custom sites for over 14 years so with the experience and knowhow behind us you can feel secure in your decision to engage Neubreed for your online creation.
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