VISIONN Creative Marketing

By Marvin Forte

With all the options out there, how do you make sure your Web developer is worth their salt? Pose these ten questions to make sure you’re making the right choice.

1. Do you build Web sites utilizing markup language that is compliant with Web standards, as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium?

Answer: “Yes, we employ Web standards and our sites are as W3C compliant as possible.”

Note: Web standards ensures your site is lean, fast, compatible, easily editable and accessible. This involves semantic markup, div-based vs. table-based layout and separation of presentation from content. You can check out how well a site complies by using the W3C’s Markup Validation Service tools. Read more about Web Standards.

2. What platforms/browsers do you test for?

Answer: “We test multiple browsers on both Microsoft Windows and Apple OSX platforms.”

Notes: This is critical. There are developers out there, especially those who code in .NET or classic .ASP, who only test sites for Microsoft Internet Explorer on the Windows platform. They’ll defend their actions by stating that Microsoft Internet Explorer has the dominant marketshare, which they do. But their marketshare is dropping all the time. Browsers like Firefox and Safari are getting more and more popular. As of October 2008, Microsoft Internet Explorer (versions 6 and 7) accounted for 47.1% of all users. That leaves over half the users out there in other browsers. Make sure your developer tests in Firefox and Safari for Apple OSX, plus Internet Explorer and Firefox for Microsoft Windows at the very least, more would be better. Read more about Browser Statistics.

3. Do you build sites that are organically Search-Engine Optimized?

Answer: “Yes, we apply SEO practices to everything we do. For example, we work with our clients and copywriters to create copy that is keyword-rich. For our dynamic sites, we rewrite URLs to be search-engine friendly. We use semantic markup and much more.”

Note: Organic Search-Engine Optimization is a part science, part craft and part art. No one can guarantee specific results, so if anyone makes outlandish claims, run away. Also avoid companies who say things like “we will get your site on 50 search engines”. At this time, Google, Yahoo and MSN handle nearly 100% of search engine usage, so those three will do fine.

4. Do you code HTML by-hand or do you rely on a publishing application to write HTML?

Answer: “Yes, we know how to code by hand.”

Notes: It’s not that there’s anything wrong with publishing programs like Dreamweaver and GoLive, but sometimes Web designers will use the standard code that those applications spit out, which can be verbose or worse. Also if there’s a problem with the code, they might not know how to fix it unless they are well-versed at hand coding too. Safe bet is to choose someone who codes by hand, regardless of what application they use.

5. Do you use tables for layout or CSS-styled divs?

Answer: “We use create div-based layouts that are styled with CSS, unless the page contains tabular data.”

Notes: This is related to Web standards. Using CSS-styled divs instead of tables makes your pages leaner, faster-to-load and more compatible with various browsers, platforms and devices. If a developer is still using tables for layout, they have fallen behind on the times and are headed the way of the dinosaurs.

6. What are your preferred development languages?

Answer: “We code in XHTML and (either) Ruby on Rails, PHP/MySQL, .NET/SQL, and/or Java. We also employ DOM Scripting (JavaScript) and AJAX as needed.”

Notes: XHTML is a must and is part-and-parcel with Web standards. Which scripting language your developer uses is less important depending on the features you desire and the hosting environment. All the scripting languages I mentioned are totally fine, each has their pluses and minuses. Honorable mention to Cold Fusion which is a bit outdated but still powerful and attempting a comeback. DOM Scripting (JavaScript) is vital for providing interactive functionality on Web sites. AJAX allows DOM Scripting to access and update databases without refreshing the page, especially useful for Web 2.0 applications.

7. Do you work in Flash?

Answer: “We use Flash when appropriate.”

Notes: Some designers work in Flash exclusively. If SEO is very important to you, Flash might not be the best choice except for smaller encapsulated animations that are purely aesthetic. Text content embedded in Flash can indexed by Google and other search engines but it requires a Flash developer who is knowledgeable of SEO and Flash. If you are interested in your site being accessible for the visually impaired, Flash might not be the best choice either. If you want your site to be compatible with mobile devices such as the iPhone, avoid Flash completely. At this time, Flash isn’t supported. If none of these matter to you and you want a site full of animation, rich with fonts, and featuring complex layouts, Flash is a good choice.

8. How many people will be working on my project and what are their individual skillsets?

Answer: “Depending on the size of the Web site, two to four team members will be working on your project. Our staff is comprised of graphic designers, programmers and project managers who will work with you to develop the site.”

Notes: There are unique individuals out there who excel at design, programming and project management but those people are few and far between. A great designer is probably not skilled at dynamic programming and vice-versa. Ideally, a team of individuals will work on your Web site, each with their own strengths. This team approach results in well-designed and well-programmed sites that are on-budget and on-time.

9. Will you maintain and update my site or can I?

Answer: “Yes, we can maintain your site and implement updates for you or we can build a Content Management System (CMS) that will allow you to update the site yourself. Also, we use industry standard development practices so that other developers can update our sites.”

Notes: It’s up to you, the client, to decide whether you want to tackle updates yourself, and whether or not you need a Content Management System to do so. Updates are often taken for granted but they can require a lot of time and they are vitally important to your site’s traffic. If you can’t dedicate a reasonable amount of time to doing updates yourself, make sure your Web developer can handle it for you.

10. Have you developed sites like mine and can you provide references to clients for whom you’ve built similar sites?

Answer: “Yes, we have developed sites with similar technology and/or design and we would be happy to provide information for you to contact those clients.”

Notes: This is an important exercise to go though because it will tell you a lot about the people you’re contracting to work with.