7 secrets the web industry doesn’t want you to know

What web developers won’t tell you – but you need to know – when you want to develop your online presence. By CRAIG REARDON.

By Craig Reardon

What web developers won’t tell you – but you need to know – when you want to build a website.

We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to the world’s technical community. Where would we be without Facebook, Google, eBay, YouTube, Microsoft and the others?

I have enormous respect for the talents and capabilities of these wizards – but they are probably the worst people to talk to when it comes to creating a world class website for your business.

Why? Well, here’s a selection of seven reasons for starters.

1. They won’t tell you that there’s a brilliant off-the-shelf solution available for a fraction of their price

Like anyone who has been made redundant by new technology, most are not going to tell you that there are now amazing off-the-shelf website and emarketing solutions that they can’t possibly compete against without starting with a five figure sum. This is their bread and butter, after all.

But the truth is that for up to 90% of smaller organisations, an off-the-shelf solution will contain all the features and presentation quality they are ever likely to need, which means that the expensive technical component is already taken care of.

I always compare it to bookkeeping software. Why would you pay a developer into five figures to build you a state-of-the-art customised system when MYOB and Quicken can look after the vast majority of a smaller organisation’s requirements.

Custom built can be useful for new functionality, that the off-the-shelf products don’t have. But for most organisations, it is rare to need extra functionality.

2. They will build for the past rather than the future

We all love repeat business, and web developers are no different. Many aren’t going to tell you that you are likely to very quickly outgrow the web solution they are building for you, and that you will need to pay another significant sum as soon as you want to upgrade or grow any part of the solution.

This is again where you will find that most common functionality such as databases, extranets, survey builders are built as standard into off-the-shelf solutions.

3. They know nothing about marketing

One of the key reasons you need a website is as a marketing tool for your organisation. The “tool” bit developers understand; the “marketing” bit – not so much.

Their background means that they are much more at home with codecs, calculus and commands that with the conversions, creative and correct spelling that you really need to promote your wares.

Again the result can be a well-performing website that looks terrible and does nothing to create the upsell, cross sell and customer retention and service you need.

4. They are likely to be aligned to a particular technical school of thought

I’ve come across some doozies when it comes to a developer’s preferred programming languages and platforms. Think, for example, of a site built completely in Flash (essentially animation software) that Google can’t (as a rule) read and hence can’t promote your business in its search results.

Think as well of the developer who refused to support anything to do with Bill Gates and hence locked himself out of the platform (Windows) that the vast majority of smaller organisations commonly use.

Think also of the Macintosh aficionado who didn’t even have a PC (or PC replicating software) to check whether his impressive Mac-created works actually operated correctly on the 95%-installed base PC platform.

5. They lack aesthetic design (or other) skills

You don’t have the time to read about the number of websites I’ve come across that are technical works of art, but look and read like dog’s breakfasts, meaning of course that the visitor will quickly click on to that of a competitor.

Today’s websites require a range of skills that are not commonly found in any one person. However, instead of teaming up with those that can complement their work, developers can often get defensive, spit the dummy and abuse the very client they are hoping will help pay their mortgage.

6. They are going on a sabbatical any time soon

If you’re dealing with an individual developer, there’s a strong chance that they haven’t any succession plans in place for when they are unavailable to help with that urgent requirement you have.

It might be a wired world we live in, but the only footprints in Tibet are abominable!

7. Avoiding the tech-trap

The good news is that all of these traps can be avoided by seeking independent advice, not only on the technical front but across the gamut of your marketing, communications, creative and customer service requirements.

Such advice will not only put you in touch with the correct technology for your requirement, but provide as much help as you need to establish a professional presence and grow it affordably.

Tips for dealing with developers

If you do feel you need to approach a developer, ensure the following:

• They include an hourly rate for work beyond that specified in their estimate.
• They use common programming platforms such as PHP (not pretty handy programming as one source suggested, but post hypertext preprocessor) or open source.
• They provide some alternative contact details if they are going to be away for more than a day or two.
• They provide contact details of referees.
• Of course the most failsafe way is to get independent advice on your online initiative.

Craig Reardon is an eBusiness educator and founder and director of independent web services firm The E Team.