Things to Consider While Hiring a Web Developer

"What separates design from art is that design is meant to be... functional."
― Cameron Moll

A web developer is essentially a programmer who specializes in undertaking tasks that require them to develop World Wide Web applications. They help to develop, create, and maintain websites, and that includes web designing, programming, content development, CMS, network security configurations, and search engine optimization amongst others.

Essentially, no matter what business you undertake, being visible on digital and social media is very important in our times to ensure that your work reaches the masses in a way that furthers your business and generates customers.

To do that, having a website to be the face of your company is crucial. And that requires someone who specializes in giving you just that. Enter the web developer.

But with the large market for such task takers, the importance of hiring the right man (or woman) for the job is critical. Which is why here's a list of things to consider before you take up the mighty task of hiring. Note that considerations have to be made both on your part and while gaging the potential employee.

The whole backbone of your project is the amount of capital you have at your disposal to undertake the task. You have to have a proper layout of how much money you are willing to spend and how you are going to distribute it throughout the undertaking.

Because you don't want to have a fallout or miscommunication once the project is underway and create an atmosphere of discomfort for either party.

What are you trying to portray or promote with your website? Is it going to be informative or interactive? Are you looking to increase sales, generate traffic, or improve subscriptions?

These are some important questions you need to address before you approach a developer, because they can only work with the information they get. And if you're not clear about what you want, the output they produce will reflect the same.

This is a major component that affects the structure of your website, and you need to decide what you want so that the web developer can work around that.

Look at the duration of time they have worked for, the companies they have worked with, if the websites they had previously created are still functional, and how they rate on the search engines amongst others.

One of the critical factors to consider is if they themselves have a website, because a web developer's identity lies in the websites they make, and if they are good at creating something that shows them in positive light, they can be the potential candidate you are looking for.

Seeing how many clients they have had and if they have clients who are long-term is also a good indicator.

A web developer's job description involves more than merely creating a website and making it look pretty. Based on what you're looking for, you need know what their areas of expertise are. This involves initial strategies to the developmental phase, final output, and post-production marketing.

• Do they have knowledge of how an SEO works?
• Do they use templates or create work from the scratch?
• Do they create their own graphics or use someone else's?

• Do they work on mobile-friendly formats?
• Can they create easy and intuitive navigational experience?
• If you require branding or work on conversion rate, can they do it?

When they can answer these questions, you know what and how well they can deliver the end products, and you can avoid incurring loss down the line.

Every company evolves from time to time, and with that, its digital footprint needs to be modified too. So, your potential employee must be:

• Adept at working with the latest technology, and be up-to-date with the latest updates in programming and coding
• Able to keep in mind the changing parameters required for SEO
• Able to provide you with an interface that matches your expectations on a whole.

Conversely, the developer must be able to understand your vision, and should ask questions to get to the core of what you are looking for. He must be able to explain technical terms in layman terms to avoid miscommunication, and be able to provide input where he thinks he can do better than what you may have suggested.

Everything regarding needs, expectations, payment, accountability, and other parameters must be discussed before you form a work relationship, but also be constantly undertaken to ensure success.

The potential candidate must be very professional, and hiring someone with whom you have a personal relationship must be avoided. He must be able to answer your calls and clear your queries when required, and must work to give you the best he can.

Time management is a crucial factor, because eventually you are responsible for the cost incurred, even if it was a shortcoming on the developer's part. You also don't want a developer who gives you a sub-par website that eventually requires a lot of modification.

It is imperative to have a well drawn-out contract that states the tasks required to be completed by the employee and in what time frame. One of the major factors is ownership, and if you don't state that from the get-go, you may be scammed and end up having to pay licensing fees eventually.

Pricing is important, and it must cover all the components of your projects to avoid any sour feelings later. Dividing payment ensures that you get the work done, and you are not cheated out of your hard-earned money.

Now that you know how to go about finding the best man for your job, you can be at ease and know that you will find someone who can further your ideas and turn them from visions to realities.