5 Ws of Web Development
Before you go out and hire a web site developer, do your homework. Ask yourself the 5 web design W's: Why do you want a web site, What do you want on the web site, When do you want the web site, Where will you host it and, of course, Who will build it?
Why
Make a list of the things you want your web site to accomplish. For example, you might want to showcase the services you provide, educate your clients, or provide online appointment bookings. Once your list is made, prioritize it to determine the key elements to focus on when the web site is being developed.
What
Write content for your web site and consider the visual style (overall look and artwork / images) you want on the web site. The content is your web site's "meat", while the visual style is the "wrapper". If there's no meat, there is no real substance to the web site. Without the visual style, there's nowhere to put your content.
Content Is King
Of these two (content verses look), the saying in the industry is, "content is king." This means your written content is hands down the most important part of your web site.
Remember to keep content concise - a paragraph on the Internet is usually considered to be lengthy if runs longer than three sentences! For the visual side of your web site, look at other sites to determine which layouts you like and which you don't. Keep a list of the web sites you like for your web developer.
When
Decide when you need your web site. Is there a fixed deadline it has to be done for (for example, a new clinic opening/reopening or heartworm season)? Generally, there is a premium charged for rushing a web site, so if you know you'll need a web site, start planning early!
Regardless of how much time you have, make sure your web site developer is willing to discuss milestones and completion dates (so the project doesn't drag on forever!).
Where
Without having your web site hosted on the Internet, no one will be able to see the final product of the Why, What and When stages.
Professional Help
Many web site firms offer web hosting alongside web development (Bionex Multimedia offers full web hosting services for its clients: see our Hosting page for details), however hosting is often entirely separate from the web site development and this may be something you wish to handle yourself.
Doing It Yourself
If you choose to tackle this yourself, you will have to find a web hosting company that supports the technology used by the web site developer, and have the hosting set up for when the web site development is finished (so the web site can go "live" on the Internet immediately).
Who
This is perhaps the most important question you will answer. If you are comfortable with HTML, CSS and the range of other web site technologies, there is no reason you can't design and develop your web site yourself.
Most people, however, have neither the skill nor inclination to create their web site themselves (I've got a clinic to run, thank you!). In this case, you'll want a professional web site developer.
Whom To Choose?
Don't just open the phone book and pick a professional web site developer at random; rather consider what you need from a web site developer and how you will communicate this to them. If you cannot communicate your ideas effectively to your web site developer, you will not get the final product you envisioned, regardless of the diligent effort on your part to answer the above questions.
Find A Good Fit
Look for a web site developer who understands your business and can communicate with you to determine the needs of your business. Also look at other web sites the developer has created to decide if a given web site developer is a fit with your web development needs.
The Next Steps
Get A Proposal
Once you have decided on a developer you are comfortable with, approach them for a proposal on your web site idea. A web site developer should not hesitate to provide you with a proposal for the design and development of your web site (including costs), provided you present your vision of your web site to them in a reasonable amount of detail.
Share Ideas
Don't be surprised if the developer has some suggestions for improving the web site - web site development is greatly improved with a sharing of ideas!
More Information
For more information on hiring a web site developer, see Hiring a Web Developer
