Questions to ask potential website developers

Here is a list of some questions you should ask before you decide on a web developer, and our answers!

Have they developed other sites with similar functionality to the web site they would be developing for you?  If so, have them show you some so you can test them for yourself. It is especially important to test their portfolio if you are requesting dynamic content.

I-Data:  Our portfolio is rather diverse, and is available upon request. Please contact us and let us know if there is a certain kind of site you are interested in.

Are they a full service web design company?  Do they just hand you a disc, or do they upload the web site for you, and have everything functioning correctly on the web server? Make sure they can handle all aspects of your project.

I-Data:  Service is what we do.   Period.  We work for you. Our job is done when your Site is up, fully functional, and you have the full source files in-hand.

Do they own the shopping cart and/or other software on your website? Can you take it with you in the future if you change web design companies? What parts do you own and what parts of the website are copyrighted to others? Can you imagine loading 3,000 items into a shopping cart system and then finding out you can't take it with you, if you decide to change companies?

I-Data:  We always fully disclose, upfront, what you are buying.  We believe in supporting open-source software when we can, this has tremendous value to our customers.  First, is cost, by customizing open-source utilities for our customers.  Second, we want you to own your site.  Honestly, we don’t want it, we want to help you own it.

What are the guarantees if you find months later a particular function of the site does not work correctly? Get any guarantees in writing. Web design is intricate, so issues may not be immediately evident.

I-Data:  If you find an error in our work, we’ll fix it.  We stand by our quotes and by our work.  

Do you have a particular person you speak with when you call, or are you randomly thrown at anyone in tech support, left to explain your situation over and over?

I-Data: We give all our customers one main point-of-contact and a back-up point-of-contact.  One or both of these contacts is always a owner of the company. 

What are the hourly rates for future updates? Some web design firms charge hourly rates as high as $150 per hour. Make sure you know the price of your web design updates in advance so you know what to expect in the future. How many changes will you need to make per year? Make sure to figure this in with your quote, and leave a little padding for unexpected changes.

I-Data:  Our hourly rates are usually $50-75 for new work.  Updates for existing customers will be done at a reduced rate in most instances. 

How long will it take them to complete the job? This is an important question. Get an estimated time frame for the web site development. I have seen people wait a whole year for their job to be finished. This is usually an estimate; Because of the nature of web development it can be hard to calculate. Just make sure it is at least within reason of your expectations.

I-Data:  Obviously this depends on the depth and complexity of the project. We always give you a project completion date up-front.  We also specialize in rush-service work.  Need something yesterday?  Just ask, and we will do everything we can to meet and exceed your needs and expectations.

Will they be using UNIX or NT based servers for your web hosting? Will there be any applications that you will be using that are ASP or PHP? If there will be ASP, SQL, or Access applications?

I-Data:  We recommend a Linux or UNIX based server In most instances. We highly recommend Linux/ Unix-based hosting.  We’ve found that this is the best option to meet most of our customer’s needs.  There are always exceptions to every rule some of our customer's sites are hosted on Windows system.  Point being, we will work for you and with you to give you what you want. 

Will you be able to take the domain name with you if you want to change web hosting or web design companies? Make sure you can take it with you if they register it for you. I recommend buying the domain name yourself. It is fairly easy to register a domain name. Once you set up your web hosting you can then login to your domain name account manager, and then point the nameservers to your web hosting companies DNS servers.
Your nameservers will usually look something like this. Example: ns1.nameserver.com and ns2.nameserver.com

I-Data:  Yes, yes, and yes.  It’s yours, you own it.  In the extremely unlikely event that we can no longer meet your needs, we want to help you find someone who can, and to make that transition as easy as possible.  Additionally, if you ask us to register a domain for you, we do just that, we register it in your name, with us as the technical contact.

Will they be performing any search engine optimization on your site? If so, make sure they don't use hidden text or anything that could get you banned from search engines in the future. If they are claiming they are going to build you hundreds of "doorway pages" I would recommend going elsewhere. Proper web site optimization is a way of cleanly building a web site so it that works well with visitor, search engine robots and spiders, by not blocking them. See the webmasters guidelines on Google and Yahoo if you are unsure about something.

I-Data: We do SEO when requested, and we do it ‘by-the-book’.  SEO is an emerging field, full of great potential and even greater possible pitfalls.  When hired to do SEO, we clearly explain what it is, and what we do.  Also, we will only do SEO within the strict guidelines of the major search-engines.

Are they performing the web design in house? You should know if the people you hired are actually the ones performing the work.

I-Data: Most work is done in-house, by us.  We do, on occasion, hire sub-contractors to help us meet customer deadlines.  We have a small, close-knit team we work with in the event that we do outsource.  Also, if you, the customer, requests, we can keep any project in-house.  Just let us know what you desire!

Does the price seem too low compared to other bids you have obtained? Too low of a price can be a good warning sign. If you have received several bids how can one be so much lower?

They maybe a beginner without the experience to handle your job properly. Experience plays heavily in having a well developed and easy to use site. Small changes can make big differences in your customer sales conversion ratios.

Something might be missing in their bid. Read it closely to make sure all items are included that are in the other bids. If you're not sure, have the web company use the same bid specifications at the other one.

Are past clients happy? See if you can get some testimonials from past clients. This may give you a better representation of what to expect.

I-Data: Our prices are low due to our innovative approach to the design process, we do our best to streamline the process. We like diversity in our work and don't feel the need to draw projects out unnecessarily (especially while being paid by the hour).

It is a template or an original work? Are they designing your site from the same pre-made templates other sites maybe using? Is it an original work of which you own the rights to? What if you thought you were purchasing a custom web site and then saw other sites using the exact same design?

I-Data: We offer both, just let us know what your needs are. Either way, our templates are customized for each customer - we don't make 'cookie-cutter' sites.

Is web design their full time career, or is it just a side job? This is where experience really shows. Working on web full time makes a well rounded designer who knows how to deal with unexpected situations. Remember you are hiring a professional to do a professional job. Would you hire a part time lawyer to help you with your business legal issues? This web site represents your company's image.

I-Data: Our company offers additional technology based services, such as training and technical services. We are dedicated and focused on each project we undertake.

Do they have proper contracts for your web site development? Have your attorney prepare contracts for you if they don't. You need to get your contracts in writing to protect both you and your developer. Things usually go smoother when everything is clearly spelled out.

I-Data: We are professionals, and work to make any experience with us to be mutually benificial. We have site building tools, contracts and guarantees.