4 Commons Mistakes Working With a Web Development Agency

Having a presence online is absolutely critical these days. If you are a small restaurant down the street or even an enterprise Fortune 500 company, having a website that showcases your products or services that you offers is a critical part or rather a necessary part of doing business today. When it comes to developing a new or refreshed website, the options are 2: hire someone in-house to help you create your website or work with a web development agency. Like any business decision, they are pros and cons to both choices. Hiring an in-house team can be challenging and a risk but that’s a whole other topic all together which will we discuss later. Below, we will discuss 4 of the most common mistakes when working with a web development agency and how you can avoid him during or before you start to work on your project:

✓ Clear Direction – When deciding on re-vamping or creating a new website, a clear direction is absolutely essential before you begin your web development project. For example, if you are a corporate business that wants to create a corporate website, you need to have a clear direction of what you are looking to accomplish, the goals and what you are looking to get out of a new website. Factors such as target demographic, age and gender to name a few things which need to be kept in mind. These are essential so the content, pictures and overall theme is in line with your business goals. You need to internally have a clear direction of what you are looking to accomplish and who you are looking to target when it comes to your website. The more clear your directions and goals are, the better you will be able to communicate that with the web development agency you are looking to partner with. Never begin your project before you have a clear path and direction established otherwise it will be a nightmare of a situation for both yourself and the agency partner you work with. This is definitely a very common mistake that occurs during the process of web development.

✓ Specification Document – This is probably one of the most common mistakes due to the lack of technical expertise that many people have. Many times, a client will walk into the door and have an idea of what they are looking to do but have no idea on how to accomplish it or how to get it done. A capable web development company can help both someone who doe sent have a specification document and someone that does have one as well. For example, if you have a specification document created that you can show the development partner, you can get multiple companies to bid on this work versus having only one company create it for you and build what they have shown you also. If you have a specific document created, it will allow both you and the agency you are working with to have a clear vision on what needs to be created. The more clear the documentation and specification is, the better it is for both clients and the web development agency partner you work with. This is another very common mistake that occurs during the development phase as people have what they want in their head but not on paper which is a big no-no. You would rather wait to get the work started and have it clearly laid out on paper rather then starting it before having it fully laid out.

✓ Capable Web Partner – Having a clear company direction/goals and a clear specification document is a great start but working with a capable web development company is the key to the whole equation. You could have everything clearly laid out but if the web partner you are working with doesn’t possess the capability in this specific domain or technology, then it will pose a serious problem. For example, if you are looking to develop a Magento based Ecommerce website and the company you are looking to partner with has no experience creating Ecommerce websites, they may stumble on the way more than likely. The most important thing before beginning any project is the selection of the best web partner to ensure that you are working with the company that best fits what you are looking for. Check to see the portfolio of work this company has delivered in the past and if they have completed similar projects to give you a sense if they will be able to do what you need them to. Ask around to see if anyone can recommend a good web partner to work with as a word of mouth referral is invaluable especially in this type of service oriented business where the delivery and quality of the project is so important. Also, speak to client references who can vouch for their quality and deliverables as this will give you a boost in your confidence or vice versa. One possible option is that if your looking to save money is to work with a web development company in India as they will cost significantly less than a local partner in the US or UK for example. It really depends upon your business needs and if you can make it work but if you can, you can really save a lot of money on development and design costs. The more capable and experienced your partner is that you work with, the better it will be for you as a company as well as the output you will receive.

✓ Testing & Launch – When your web development project is almost completed, you are going to be keen to get it up and running ASAP. However, many people preemptively launch their website without going through a thorough testing phase. The web development company you work should test the website across multiple browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera) as well as multiple devices (phone, laptop, desktop, tablet). The more thorough you and the web partner that is creating the website is, the better user experience and the less errors you will have on your website. Take your time and go through all the necessary due diligence in terms of testing as the last thing you want is your website to go live and give users problems as this can tarnish your brand image which will be detrimental in some cases. The bottom line is that you want to be 1,000% sure before you make any decision to go live so that they are no problems for you or your customers. Take your time and be sure before you go live as you don’t want it to be a decision you regret.

Summary
It’s not easy getting a website development project completed from start to finish by any means. The more clear you are on what you are looking for and what your company wants to communicate with current or past clients, the better it will be for all people involved. Have a clear vision and a clear path, you will be better off. Don’t jump into any web development project before having all your ducks in a row as this can really end up costing you more in the long run. By choosing a capable and experienced web development agency partner to work with, the better it will be as they can also guide you/advise you on the do’s and don’ts when it comes to create a website. Above are just some of the most common mistakes that occur when working with a web development company. If you can avoid some of these by taking the necessary time and planning, it will be a lot less headache for you and the web partner you work with. The most important thing is to be sure of who to work with, take your time and have everything planned out as much as possible. Granted, unexpected things do come up but if you are prepared as much as possible, this is much better rather than just shooting from the hip. If you are looking for an experienced, trusted and capable web development company to help you create any type of website you need, please feel free to reach out to the team at Mind Digital for any of your development or digital marketing needs you have.