If you are an online entrepreneur, surely you realize the importance of hiring an efficient Web programmer for building your online storefront. Even the most ambitious and intelligent business owner will almost never be able to create a website that is well functioning and professional-looking enough to ensure their success. Not to mention that do-it-yourself website design can eat up countless hours which you could be using to build and grow your business. However, one of the greatest challenges for online entrepreneurs is to find a web programmer who can be confident in working long-term. This article will provide you with a step-by-step strategy for selecting and hiring the best web programmer possible.
Common Mistakes Made When Hiring a Web Programmer
The following are a few of the most common and costly mistakes which are made when hiring a web programmer:
Hiring Cheap
To anyone starting a business online, it can be extremely tempting to hire a web programmer who is offering you the lowest price However, low-priced web programmers are normally those who are not able to demand higher prices for their services because they are not delivering the best quality. This lower quality of work means more potential errors which can be very frustrating and time-consuming to have fixed.
Not to mention that low-quality Web programming often needs to be corrected by a high-quality web programmer. This means more money out of pocket to hire a second person for the job which should have been completed correctly in the first one. This is how hiring cheap can end up being very costly.
Not Having Clear Expectations
No matter how good your web programmer is, they are only able to meet your expectations according to what they understand them to be. Many online business owners make the mistake of hiring a web programmer to complete a job while having unclear or poorly communicated expectations about the finished product. As a result, the project becomes overly complicated as the business owner and web programmer try to work out an end product by means of trial and error.
Not Valuing Communication Skills
This is probably the most common and costly mistake business owners make when they hire Web programmers. No matter how good of a craftsman your web programmer is, their communication skills make all the difference in whether or not they deliver the correct finished product. Although it is often very cost-effective to hire Web programmers who are in parts of the world where they can offer you the lowest rates, you have to take into account that breakdowns or misunderstandings in communication can dramatically sacrifice quality.
Hiring Programmers Who Don’t Understand Marketing
Marketing is a part of everything that you do in business and you need to hire a web programmer who understands the principles of good marketing. If you hire a web programmer who does not understand marketing, the structure, and navigation of your website may have to be changed in the future in order to be optimized for conversions. It’s better to hire a web programmer who understands the principles of Internet marketing and who can provide suggestions and feedback as to how your site needs to be built and optimized from the beginning.
Finding and Hiring the Right Expert
The following are the most important things to do as you are searching for and hiring a web programmer:
Check Results
Anyone can claim that they are an efficient Web programmer and probably even gather a few positive testimonials from customers. However, nothing speaks louder than the solid results which they are getting for the customers they have built sites for. Always ask to see examples of websites that they have designed and check the websites for a professional appearance, ease of navigation, and ease of usability.
Speak to them by Phone
Since clarifying expectations and measuring communication skills is so important, you MUST schedule a phone call to speak with your web programmer and make sure they understand the project before you decide to hire them. If your web programmer is in another country, you can use Skype (a free international communication software) to connect with them on a phone call from your personal computer.
When speaking to your web programmer, make sure that they have good listening skills and that they take the time to understand your project before making commitments or quoting exact prices and delivery dates.
Test Their Marketing Expertise
Since marketing skills are so important when it comes to hiring a web programmer, you must test their expertise during your first phone meeting. Instead of telling them exactly what you want to have designed, start by explaining the objectiveof your site and see if they have well-thought-out suggestions for how to build a more marketable site. The quality of these suggestions will testify to their marketing expertise or the lack of it.
Use Escrow for Payment
Never do business with someone who you have just met without using escrow services for the payment process. Since there are many escrow sites that are scams, simply stick with the escrow service provided by the site where you hired your web programmer (see resources below). If you do not hire them on one of these sites, use www.escrow.com instead.
Conclusion
Follow these guidelines when hiring a web programmer and do not falter from them. If you do, you will save yourself a lot of money and heartache and end up with a website site design that you can be confident in.
Resource Links
The following are sites where you can locate and hire Web programming experts. These have been listed in the order of quality:
Link to Skype communications software:
Legitimate escrow service site
