Web development is still in its infancy. Making its first appearance in 1991 with the birth of HTML Tags, the web has grown and multiplied exponentially over the past 19 years. From E-commerce to Blogging, the world wide web has made an impression on our world that has only begun to unfurl. Web development has evolved to become a rather robust and competitive culture and and ever expanding market.
In the early 90's, if you threw together a website, most likely you were one of the only individuals or companies to have one in your field. With a limited range of programming tools, development was simple and limited, and easily able to be done by anyone with a mind to pursue it. Add almost two decades of technological advances and the birth of an online culture all its own, the web as we know it as a bit more complicated that it used to be. Now you can order nearly anything with a single click, find your house from satellite imagery, and even maintain friendships and keep up with friends from around the world.
Simply put, if you have a cell phone, you need a website. As technology advances, so do the rewards we receive from using them! Just like a cell phone enables you to keep in touch with your family, friends, and business associates more effectively, so a website enables you to have an unlimited amount of information available to anyone in the world at the click of a mouse and the stroke of the keyboard. If you're trying to start a business without a website, that's like walking into a networking meeting without a business card. Because faces come and go, a website establishes credibility with your clients, and no one wants to do business with a no-name start up. Even established businesses need enhanced credibility - i.e., if your website looks like a college graduate student designed it, most likely everyone else will think so, too.
Quality Web Design is a hard thing to find. Sure you can run a search on your favorite search engine and find a hundred different web designers waiting to take your money, but in the end, aren't they all the same? What separates a good developer from a bad developer? Is it money? Is it quality of service? Is it the value of the services that you pay for? Is it the value of the services you don't?
The answer is: All of the above. Price, Service, and Value are key factors in making any decision, especially when it comes to money. There is no difference in getting a website developed. However, in order to make sure you are making an educated decision, there are a few things you may want to be aware of first:
Initial Pricing vs. Investment
In the past, and still currently today, web developers will make most of their money up front. In other words, they will charge you $1,500 to $5,000 dollars for a website, then move on the next client. Like ravaging vampires they swarm the internet, gobbling up leads offering less that satisfactory service. The fact of the mater is, a website is a decent investment, but, shouldn't cost you as much as you think. Why? We think of websites as brochures and print material - you make them, print them, then hand them out until you need some pricing fixed on the inside flap. This is why web designers and developers charge so much.
In reality, a website should be grown. The initial investment should be moderate and the money saved should be invested in monthly updates. Again... why? Because Yahoo and Google regularly return to your website and double check to make sure you're still breathing. Unfortunately, since they can't access your web camera or your medical records, the rely on the only information they have at hand... the content of your website. The more your website content sits idle, the more Google and Yahoo will start to believe you may have moved on to more important things. Regular website updates are a must.
Service With A Smile
It's an undeniable fact that most developers and web designers are a little reclusive. They like to sit in their cubical, they complain about their phone calls, and they really want nothing more than to be left alone so they can code and design - from 8 to 5, Monday through Friday. To help with this mental retardation provided by well-meaning companies advertising on monster.com and craigslist.com, they hire customer service reps. These people can help you through any issue you may have, as long as the resource guide in front of them has it and they don't lose their place on the call sheet. Customer service has sunk to an ALL TIME LOW in corporate America. True service was a prized commodity that small and medium sized businesses valued with great care and concern. Today, its all about the almighty dollar, no matter what their Super Bowl ad may say.
You Get What You Pay For
Unfortunately, this is almost a universal truth. If you pay a small amount, you get that amount of service and that level of quality in your product. One of the big things web developers thrive on is the convoluted complexity of their jobs. They start talking and for all you care it's Chinese or Arabic. It is only later that you find out they swindled you with their space-age techno-babble. The truth is, like any good neighbor, your web designer or web developer should be working right along side you, mostly to develop your website, but also to make sure you are better educated online. The last thing a quality web developer wants is for you to end up losing valuable monies to a scam artist.
So in the end, what is Quality Web Design? Quality web design isn't a product you buy, it's a person you meet and a company you trust. Never let a web developer swindle you into paying money for something you may not want or need. Here at ZakGraphix, we provide FREE CONSULTATIONS and FREE DEVELOPMENT mock-ups, no strings attached, to show you just how committed we are to our clients. Sure, you may walk away and never grace us with your presence again, but that's a risk we are willing to take. Why? Because we're the best.
Don't believe us? Find out for free today.
ZakGraphix - "Raising the Standard of Design, One Website at a Time."
Micah Zak
St. Louis Web Design - ZakGraphix.com