Finding Your Digital Wizard… or Not

So, you’re on the hunt for a web developer, huh? You know… those mystical beings who can turn your digital dreams into reality… or a complete nightmare if you’re not careful. Let’s meander through this process together…

Questions to ask… seriously ask

So, what’s your experience with projects like mine?
Can you show me some websites you’ve built? Like… actual live ones?
How do you handle… ya know, deadlines?
What’s your game plan for dealing with… glitches?
Are you a solo act or do you have a team behind you?
How do you keep up with… all the techy stuff that changes every five minutes?
What’s your approach to user experience… and making things look not ugly?
How do you communicate progress… like, are we talking smoke signals or what?
What’s your take on SEO… do you even care about it?
How do you price your work… and am I gonna need a second mortgage?

Red Flags… or maybe just… nah

“I’ve only worked on personal projects, but I’m sure I can handle yours…” Yeah, no.
“Deadlines are… flexible.” Translation: Your launch date is a myth.
“SEO? That’s just a buzzword…” Umm, it really isn’t.
“Communication? I usually just update when there’s a problem…” Alright, see ya never.

Green Lights… like, a go for it

“Here’s my portfolio link… check out these live sites I’ve done.”
“Deadlines are crucial… I follow a strict timeline.”
“I keep up with the latest trends… and I love learning.”
“UX is key… your site has to be functional and beautiful.”
“I use project management tools to keep you in the loop.”

If You Did the Question Aspects Right… but Still Not Feeling It

If you did the question aspects right, felt confident with the answers but yet the solution provided just didn’t meet your expectations, well, let’s define why that is. Websites are a relationship between you and your developer. If you nourish it, provide them with examples, really dig deep when they ask you questions and try and give the best answers, it can still just be a bad relationship. So, how do you resolve this?

One thing to consider is maybe you have a developer and not a designer. There is a difference and it is monumental. Developers are great at developing a website, creating interactions, and overall experts in coding. But, not all have the chops for design. Designers are the crafters of content, color, and layout. It takes years to become a decent designer, knowing spacing, flow, and overall waving a wand that puts everything together in a way that viewers will eat up and convert.

So How Do You Know if You Have a Developer or Designer?

Examples… Look to the examples and judge if they all look the same or if they take chances and build different styles. Do their portfolio examples sway you?

Likelihood if you have a developer who lacks design…. Don’t sweat it. You can find designs all over the web, Envato, Site Inspire, and even Pinterest are great places to find inspiration that can help a developer overcome that hump. If you have a designer who lacks development skills, that’s a whole other conversation. Designers may have simple development skills, they may even be able to build an entire website, so adjust your lens and simply ask, are you good with development? If you get a, “umm yah…”, well that’s not a strong statement, and you may need to press more questions so you can turn those pink flags into red flags.

Why You Should Care…

Look, finding the right web developer is like finding the right pair of shoes… the fit matters. A good developer can make your business shine online, bringing in customers, boosting visibility… and making your life a whole lot easier. A bad one? Well, let’s just say you don’t want to go there.

Wrap-Up… because we’re almost done here

So, yeah… asking the right questions and knowing what to listen for can save you a lot of headaches. The right developer will not only build you a great site but will also help your business stand out in the crowded digital space. And that’s what it’s all about… finding someone who gets your vision and can bring it to life. Happy hunting!