Choosing A Web Building Company
When you have decided it is the right time to get a web site for your organisation, then you will need to find a web developer. There is no shortage to choose from ranging from individuals working on their, own to large companies that use teams specialising in different aspects of web design.
Below are some questions that it might be a good idea to ask before making a commitment.....
Who will be doing the work?
With some companies, the person you deal with may be a salesman who is great at presentations, but knows little about the technical aspects. Building a website may involve many specialist skills, so it is quite common for more than one person to be involved. However, you should make sure that the person you deal with is going to be closely involved with ever step of the process and will be there to help you with any problems.
Exactly how much will it cost?
Make sure that you know the total inclusive cost for the whole job. The developer may break this down into parts such as an amount for domain registration, renting web space etc. but you should make sure that you get a fixed quote - not an estimate - for the completed job.
What are you getting for your money?
You should get a fully working online web site that you are happy with, but what else? What happens if you need to make some changes later on? What happens if a fault develops and part of the site stops working? Will you get a Content Management System (see definition on the right) and will there be any training or manuals on how to use it?
Ideally, you should be given a contract that sets out exactly what the web design company contracted to do. This would include who is providing the content, who is taking photographs, how many revisions are included for free and the after-sales service. This should also include a detailed description of the web site being built such as the number of pages and the functionality.
What services are offered?
Some web companies are just intereted in producting templates and you will need to provide all the content and images yourself. At First Class we are happy to take the necessary photographs and even write the text for your website. Of course we will need you to provide us with the information that is to go on your web site.
How will I know the web site meets modern standards?
A good developer will write clean code that meets the standards of the World Wide Web Consortium. You should make sure that this is written into any contract. There are online tools that allow you to check yourself that every one of your web pages is compliant and part of the service from First Class is to show you how to do this. If your web site does not meet accepted standards then it may not be future proof.
Where is the developer based?
Technically, there is no reason why a business based in the UK cannot employ a web developer in China or Australia to build their web site. After all, the Internet is global. However, would it not be better if you could sit down and talk to your developer? Dealing with somebody local is likely to make the whole process faster and easier.
DEFINITIONS
Content Management System:
In the past, it was normal for websites to be static, that is, the style and content did not change. This meant that even a minor change to the content, such as a shop changing it's opening times or phone number, would need a developer to update the site.
A Content Management System(CMS) is like a simple word processor that allows the web site owner to update text and images themselves. The disadvantages of a CMS is that they make the website more complex and thus more expensive and they can limit how the web site is designed. It does take a certain amount of expertise with computers to use a CMS so they are not suitable for everyone.
World Wide Web Consortium:
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international community where Member organizations, full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards.
The W3C runs an online school that has numerous tutorials showing the correct way to create web sites.
