The Top 10 Questions You Should Ask When Choosing a Web Professional for Your Site
by: CarolineMelberg
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Word Count: 1045
The most important thing to remember when you are
building a site for your business is that websites are now critical marketing
tools. The days of static sites that simply present products or services are
giving way to the Web 2.0 boom, and these types of sites are a critical sales
vehicle for any type of business.
Finding a web professional who can build these
interactive sites is essential for today’s competitive marketplace and they can
help you build, develop and even market your business with ease. When you’re
searching for the right web professional to join your team, here are the top
ten questions to ask during the interview process:
- Do
they build for the search engines?
Making sure your website is compliant with today’s SEO rules and
regulations is a critical step for site construction. If a web
professional isn’t keeping up to date with SEO guidelines you could be
left with a less-than-stellar site that doesn’t get any exposure on the
major search engines.
- Do
they check their work for W3C compliance? W3C compliance is another critical area
for websites, and building a site with these rules and regulations in mind
can also earn you high rankings on the search engines. This will
save you coding work in the future, so make sure the candidate is aware of
industry rules and can apply them to all of your projects.
- Do
they have Web 2.0 development skills? The days of static websites are long gone, and it’s
essential that your web professional has the skills and experience to
build a web 2.0-friendly site. Avoid getting left behind as the
industry grows with the latest Web 2.0 developments; select someone who
knows which direction the industry is growing and can help you build your
business accordingly.
- Do
they understand your marketing concept? Building and designing a website in today’s competitive
marketplace involves a thorough understanding of the market and
sales. Your candidate should be able to understand your marketing
goals and build something that attracts your target market
appropriately. Remember, you need to build a site that sells
to get the traffic and advertisers you need to build your business; can
the web professional create a site with this goal in mind?
- Do
they have verifiable references?
Checking work history is an important part of your interview process, and
can help you learn more about the candidate’s work style, commitment to
projects and deadlines, and the types of projects they’ve worked on.
- Are
they committed to ongoing education? Ongoing education is necessary for all professionals in your
organization, especially with the rapidly changing world of the
internet.
- Will
they provide you with the code of their projects? Even when you’re hiring a web professional
permanently, you need to have access to their code and work at all
times. If they end up leaving or are dismissed for any reason, you
don’t want to have to start from scratch – make sure you back up all
copies of their work and have access to their projects.
- Can
they sign a non-compete agreement?
Making sure you don’t lose out on business opportunities is an important
part of running a successful business; make sure they are willing to make
a commitment to your company and sign a nondisclosure and non-compete
agreement. It’s a simple step that can protect your business for the
long-run.
- Are
they willing to train and lead a team? If you are planning on growing your business or outsource
various projects, the web professional may be in charge of developing a
system to allocate work. Are they willing to train and build a team,
or will they only be working independently? Find out what type of
commitment the candidate is willing to offer.
- What
type of programming experience do they have? While some web professionals do not need
extensive programming experience, most will have basic programming
knowledge that they can use to build and create a quality system, or even
work with programmers and other designers. Check their qualifications for any
certificates or other credentials to learn more about their educational
experience.
Choosing the right web professional for your site can
be challenging, but defining your goals and development plans can help you make
a better decision. While every business needs a website, few business
owners take the time to map out exactly how the site can help them build their
business. Take the time to prioritize your goals, then set out to find
the right web professional with these top ten questions.
About the Author
Caroline Melberg is President
and CEO of Small Business Mavericks, a division of Melberg Marketing. She has
over 20 years of experience creating marketing communications materials and
writing copy for some of the largest and most successful companies in the
world. Her small business columns are syndicated online, and she publishes the
popular eZine, "Small Business Maverick Secrets." For more
information about Website Design, Development and Promotion, visit
www.SmallBusinessMavericks.com and get your FREE copy of The Business Owner’s
Guidebook to Website Design and Promotion today!
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