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Don’t Hire a Web Developer to Build Your Website!

Guest post by: Todd Jamieson

Article Overview: I was a meeting with a client recently and he mentioned that he was considering hiring a programmer from overseas to help complete a small web project. He felt it just made more sense financially. I asked him, “who will be doing the project management, design, information architecture and testing?”. He looked puzzled. “Can’t the web developer do all of this?”.

Don’t Hire a Web Developer to Build Your Website!

I was a meeting with a client recently and he mentioned that he was considering hiring a programmer from overseas to help complete a small web project. He felt it just made more sense financially. I asked him, “who will be doing the project management, design, information architecture and testing?”. He looked puzzled. “Can’t the web developer do all of this?”.

As we talked more, I felt I owed it to my client to educate him about what really happens behind the scenes. Obviously, he didn’t understand our profession or was misinformed about how things work. As web professionals, we sometimes expect clients to know everything that goes on as if by magic. But many of the things we do are hidden, and just sort of happen without clients really understanding how much work is taking place.

As you may know, a web developer is someone who writes code. On a typical website build, a web developer’s time is just a small part of the overall work, and there are many other players that are involved in a web design project. At Envision, we first started tracking our project hours in 2000. Of the roughly 26,000 – 30,000+ hours we log each year building websites, only 40% of that time has been used by web developers writing code. The remaining is spent planning, designing, testing, integrating SEO, and writing copy.

But there’s a deeper secret here: what’s even more important that the amount of work is the team doing the work.

I’ve always found that solo developers or “manufactured” teams stitched together with outsourcers or freelancers will never deliver the same quality product as a team who has worked together before. In projects where teams knew each other well, we had less time spent and happier clients. Teams including new people (even if they proved to be amazing employees once they settled in) weren’t as successful. Any team needs time for the members to learn about each other, and use that understanding to communicate effectively. Whenever a new team is formed, they need to go through several phases before they can achieve synergy.

When a team of people work together over a period of time, they start sharing common goals and values. Simple back and forth questions and answers are not needed as much. Doubt is replaced with confidence. And as people become confident and stop worrying, they are able to truly focus and get in a state of flow and create something amazing much quicker.

Something truly special happens when you have the right team. Some of the greatest Stanley Cup or Super Bowl winners are not teams full of super stars. The greatest teams are made up of team players working together for a common goal.

Next time you are considering a new web project, ask to talk to the team. See how they work together. You might be pleasantly surprised.

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Article Tags: information architecture, management design, programmer, project management, web developer
Referred by: http://www.brymarkpromostore.com



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Hiring good people - Thanks everyone. From the PROFIT companies the success formula seems to be: - Give employees responsibilities that make them stretch themselves - Provide them with a good work environment and happy co-workers - Invest in them by giving them training - Build projects with them to give them some ownership of the idea - Make sure they fit your company culture And almost all of them say: Hire slow, fire fast.
Re: what position to request? - Hi Michael, Great suggestion from David, or you could try something around a design consultancy, How about Website Design Consultant, Design and Development Manager, Website Support and Development Manager or maybe Internet Business Development Consultant. Ultimately whatever you are comfortable with and good luck for the future, Mal.
Re: How to Promote Your Blog – The Definitive Guide to Promoting - Great Post! Dont forget to put your blog in Anchor Text For SEO purposes for the keywords you want when getting backlinks (for example with article marketing)...Very important. You can conquer quite a few small Niches and get your site on the number 1 spot in Google!
Re: Great start, but no finish - My advise is FOCUS on your business. Focusing is the main factor to succeed on business. If you have a great idea, then follow it only, don't look anywhere else. It is especially essential in an online business. Because there are a lot of mind blowing sales letters promising millions dolllars or overnight success, people find it difficult to concentrate on one business and they lose their energy. Concept is simple. 1- Have a good idea; 2- Build your business on it; 3- Monetize your business; 4- Promote it; 5- Build list of responsive customers; 6- Maintain You Business. Focusing and not fearing from competition (instead you can learn from competitiors) are main tips of billionaires ,BTW. Orxan


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