Almost every business owner is going to need to hire a web developer at some point. It is virtually impossible to run a successful business without at least having a website in the 21st century. Of course, some businesses are going to need more sophisticated web development services than others. If you are planning to create an app for your business or need a dynamic website with lots of features, then you need to make sure that you retain an expert that can live up to your expectations.
Unfortunately, a number of business owners run into a variety of issues, because they hire the wrong companies for their web development needs. Here are some common mistakes that you need to look out for when choosing a web application development company.
Neglecting to hire a company with expertise in responsive design
According to a study conducted in 2017, 51% of customers use mobile devices to find new brands. Those customers are not likely to stick around and do business with you over the long term if you don’t have a good mobile interface. The biggest challenge that many businesses face is trying to develop a template for every possible device. There are a couple of issues with this:
- It would cost a tremendous amount of money to create a separate template for every known device.
- You would neglect to consider some of the less popular devices, even though they collectively make up a lot of users.
- Your website might not accurately identify the device that customers are using when they first visit. This is especially common with people finding your site through Google.
The solution is to use a website with responsive design. It is estimated that most websites will have responsive design elements these days. One poll found that 94% of customers judge companies based on whether they use responsive design.
The problem is that some web developers lack the skill set needed to develop responsive websites. You need to make sure they know what they are doing.
Hiring a web developer without fully understanding their billing practices
Some web developers overcharge and under-deliver. The biggest problem is that you don’t know that they are going to be overcharging you upfront.
One of the biggest mistakes that people make is hiring what developers on an hourly basis without understanding what they will deliver. Hourly billing is not necessarily a bad thing. However, you need to know what to expect first. Make sure that you have a set of milestones in place and communicate what you expect to get accomplished after a certain number of hours have been billed. If they aren’t sticking to a reasonable timetable and continue to rack up the charges, then you will know to cancel and look for another web developer. It is a good idea to know this upfront and stay on top of them to avoid a massive bill without anything to show for it.
Choose the right web development company
You need to know what to look for when choosing a web development company. The last thing that you want to do is hire a developer that charges too much, but can’t provide a decent service in return.
