Website Horror Stories - Part 3 … Selecting a Web Developer or Web Designer
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“A business without a website is like a house without a door. Whether customers, suppliers, or partners, people expect to learn about you through your website.
And if you don’t have a website, then they’ll probably look elsewhere …”
PC Magazine May 23, 2000.
As a web developer working in the area, I am often approached by businesses and individuals who have spent hundreds of dollars for a website and the result has been anything but adequate. This article concludes the three-part series and shares advice for selecting a firm or designer to create your website.
The Common Sense Approach
- Get referrals from trusted business associates and friends.
Everyone knows somebody who has a website. Ask your friends/associates about their experience in the planning and implementation process. Were they happy with the design and designer? Would they use the same person again, if doing it over? What would they do differently and why? - Assess the education, skills and experience of the designer.
There are many faces in the web industry and levels of education vary. Don’t discount someone just because they don’t have a formal education. Self-taught individuals show a level of discipline that is needed to stay current in this business, which changes rapidly. The self-taught individual could also, however, be missing some important training and skills. What experience and skills does this individual or firm possess? Do these skills support the type of website you want for your business? - Review the designer’s website and portfolio.
Do you like it? Does it look professional? Are there broken pages or missing pieces? Is the website easy to use? Can you find the information you are looking for? Does it make sense? Does the designer’s style match what you envision for your website? If you like what you see, you will likely be happy with their work. If not, keep looking. - Contact the designer’s clients.
Would they recommend this designer? Were there any problems? If so, how were they resolved? Would they choose the same designer? Why or Why not? - Assess the Communication
Contact the designer and assess their response. Send a follow up email. Do they reply promptly? Are they helpful and courteous? Do you think you can work with this person? - Listen to your instincts.
If you have doubts, keep looking!
Warnings
- Whose Website Is It Anyway?
Make sure you own the domain name. It should be registered in the company name with the CEO/owner listed as the site owner. - Who Is In Control?
You approve the design style (look and feel of the website) and control the content included on the website. Get a written agreement that includes terms and fees. - Will Your Site Adhere to Web Standards?
Web standards, which are approved by the World Wide Web Consortium (WC3), are important to assure that your website will work in a variety of browsers. Additionally, they help increase web traffic, create a faster website, and improve search engine rankings. It makes good business sense and it’s the right thing to do. - Will It Be “search engine friendly”?
Search engine friendly websites are created with search engine optimization in mind. Good developers are aware of how search engines work and create content and designs that allow the business to be indexed by web crawlers used by Google and other search engines. - Does the Designer Have the Necessary Skills To Do the Job?
Do your homework! Check references. Ask to see website examples. (Even a beginner will have some sample work completed as a volunteer or educational projects.) Were the examples done alone or with the help of others? If others worked on the project, which part of the site did the designer actually do? - What about Backups?
Ask how often backups are done. Request a copy of the completed website after the project is finished. This will ensure you have the original work and content should any problems arise. - What Happens if your Webmaster Goes Missing?
Be prepared! Request access to the website control panel where you can update information. Be sure to get passwords and login information for all web features, including licenses for software purchased on your behalf. Get FTP settings, email information, database setups, etc. - Keep it close to home.
A local designer is accessible when needed. It is easier for someone from another state or region to avoid or ignore your attempts to communicate when problems arise. If you do work with someone outside the region, be sure you do your homework, check credentials and obtain referrals or references. Be diligent.
Conclusion
Getting online may seem like a daunting task to those who have little or no online experience. There are many options and resources available to assist you. The most important resource is your web designer, who should guide you through the process and provide helpful instruction along the way.
For more information about creating a web presence, download my Free Website Planning Guide.
If you are interested in developing a website, contact Peggy by phone 570-966-2470 or email peggy@projectsbypeggy.com.
Website Horror Stories – Part 2
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As a web developer working in the area, I am often approached by businesses and individuals who have spent hundreds of dollars for a website and the result has been anything but adequate. This article continues the series and shares additional problems local business owners have encountered with their websites.
Aren’t Redesigns Supposed to Improve a Website?
Two years ago, Chamber staff wanted to redesign the outdated website and selected an Information Technology (IT) student from a local 2 year college to do the job. He assured them that he could handle the task and went to work rebuilding the website. Unfortunately, IT professionals and IT students, while awesome at fixing computers and network problems, are not usually skilled in design and lack the required knowledge to create a professional website. It was soon apparent that the student had gotten in over his head and the redesign was a complete disaster.
The new site created a bad first impression. The color scheme (black background with red highlights) was unappealing and lacked professionalism. Download time was very slow due to large oversized images. In addition, the images were distorted and poor quality. The site navigation overlapped content in some browsers. It was a great example of what NOT to do when redesigning and building a professional website.
Does the Designer Have the Necessary Skills To Do the Job?
I received a telephone call from a family friend’s sister, who needed help with her website. She had selected and purchased a Flash template design. She had a designer work on the site, assuring her she could do the job. She loved the website and everything was great … well, almost.
When the site was almost done, the developer quit working on it. Repeated attempts to reach her went unanswered and six months later the image gallery still boasted the original images that came with the design instead of the owner’s content. After many phone calls to try to resolve the problem, the developer quit answering and never returned calls when messages were left. An added problem in the owner’s eyes was the fact that the former developer never shared the search engine limitations that came with Flash content.
While Flash is cool and can provide lots of robust animation, it is not search engine friendly. A good developer will inform the client of the limitations of technology, recommend alternatives let the site owner decide whether or not that technology is appropriate for their needs.
Using the same visual look, the site was redesigned using XHTML and CSS with a bit of Flash for some components of the site.
What about Backups?
A local company had a website created by a young friend of a friend. The site was online and they were happy with it. After a few years, the hosting company had a server failure and the content on the site was lost. For most designers, that’s not a major issue as backups should be a normal part of the routine. However, no one had a back up of the information on this website. The young friend of the friend had grown up and moved away and the information on the website was gone.
There is nothing wrong with getting help from creative young people. It provides real world experience and helps you financially if your budget is limited. However, you should request copies of the website content and images used in building the site. And if you like the design, you should request a copy of the complete website on a CD that can easily be re-installed if data is lost as was the case with the company in question.
What Happens if your Webmaster Goes Missing, Moves Away or Dies?
Life happens. Changes occur. Are you prepared if something goes wrong? While not the most pleasant thing to consider, companies should have contingencies in place for problems that can arise due to life changes or difficult circumstances. This is especially true if you are working with a lone professional rather than a design firm.
If your web designer is no longer able to work for you, what will happen to your website? Do you have access to your website’s control panel and do you have the settings required to transition the site into the hands of the next web professional? Do you have login information and required passwords for program scripts and other website features? Do you have copies of the original working files? If not, can you get them?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, why not ask your designer? And while you’re at it, ask him (or her) what happens if you decide to take your business elsewhere? A professional should be willing to assist you in transitioning the site to another firm if you choose to do so.
… to be continued …
Next month, I will share some tips in choosing a web developer.
This article was published in the February issue of the Central PA Chamber’s newsletter, “The Chamber Report.”
Website Horror Stories - part 1
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“A business without a website is like a house without a door. Whether customers, suppliers, or partners, people expect to learn about you through your website. And if you don’t have a website, then they’ll probably look elsewhere …” PC Magazine May 23, 2000.
As a web developer working in the area, I am often approached by businesses and individuals who have spent hundreds of dollars for a website and the result has been anything but adequate. The success of the Internet has made it easy for unqualified individuals to market their services and dupe clients into giving them their business.
Unfortunately, an inadequate web site can have a detrimental effect on business, resulting in wasted dollars and lost revenue. Clients who need a website often don’t know what questions to ask when evaluating a developer.
In this series, I will share some of the problems businesses have encountered and how others can protect themselves from getting into similar situations.
Whose Website Is It Anyway?
A few years ago, I stumbled upon the website of a local Mennonite owned business. I was surprised that they had a website and mentioned seeing it when I next visited the store. Much to my surprise, the owner had never even seen the website. It was a “package deal” he received with some type of advertising or associated membership. Along with creating a website for the business without the owner’s input, the developing firm registered and owned the domain name. This resulted in three major problems for the company.
- They had no control over the design and content included on their website.
- They had no way to update the pages when information changed.
- They could only use their domain (website address) with this developer because he owned it.
A similar situation occurred when a local restaurant was approached by a developer who wanted to create a website on their behalf. After repeated pushy sales tactics, the owner finally agreed verbally. The company did the work and promptly billed the restaurant for the website. However, the owner had never seen or approved the website as promised, and refused to pay for it. This resulted in attempts to collect payment including late notices and eventually the unpaid bill was placed with a collections agency. After a long battle, the developer finally gave up.
Who Is In Control?
A small local business owner worked with a local web designer to create a website. The website was perfect for her business and she was happy with the design. Although she loved her website, there was a still a problem. She wanted to be able to update the site herself and had made this clear from the beginning. The web designer failed to follow through on that request, charging the client for every update as well as a monthly fee for maintaining the site. The owner came to me asking for help. We added a Content Management System so the owner could update the site.
Does Your Site Adhere to Web Standards
The owner was not aware of two additional problems with the website.
- The site was not compliant with current web standards, and
- it was not “search engine friendly.”
Developers who create sites that lack these two important elements are usually more concerned with the visual appearance of a website. A good developer will find a balance between the visual design and functionality.
Web standards, which are approved by the World Wide Web Consortium (WC3), are important for increasing potential web traffic, creating a faster website, and improving search engine rankings. It makes good business sense and it’s the right thing to do. Search engine friendly websites are created with search engine optimization in mind. Good developers are aware of how search engines work and create content and designs that allow the business to be indexed by web crawlers used by Google and other search engines.
In addition to adding content management to the website, we replaced the table design with an XHTML/CSS based design that adheres to web standards.
… to be continued …
This article was published in the January issue of the Central PA Chamber’s newsletter, “The Chamber Report.”
Browsershots - A Web Testing MUST HAVE
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Okay, another exciting find that I must share.
“Browsershots makes screenshots of your web design in different browsers. It is a free open-source online service created by Johann C. Rocholl. When you submit your web address, it will be added to the job queue. A number of distributed computers will open your website in their browser. Then they will make screenshots and upload them to the central server here.”
I used this to test my own website, Projects by Peggy. The screenshots are available for 30 minutes (you can extend the time) and can be downloaded to your computer. The screenshots are full sized, thus fairly large in size.
I used all 19 browsers - the first 9 screenshots showed up very quickly but beyond that is a long wait time. I think in the future, I will concentrate on one platform at a time: Linux, Windows, and Mac Os.
Here’s a screenshot of my test:
And 51 minutes later … still waiting for the last screenshot! I have a high speed DSL connection. You may want to limit each test to just a few browsers.
P.S. I tested a client website and found the site failed in IE6 - I was able to add a bit more space between divs (padding/margins) and now it is working fine in all browsers tested! What a great way to avoid site failure surprises!
COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act)
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Information you should know about kids’ privacy and data collection when developing websites for an audience under age 13, COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) is overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and sets the requirements and protections for collection and use of private data for children under age 13.
For more information, you can download How to Comply With The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule, a PDF guide from the FTC, the Direct Marketing Association and the Internet Alliance.
keep looking »PLEASE NOTE: COPPA should not be confused with COPA (Children’s Online Protection Act), a law in the United States of America, passed in 1998 with the declared purpose of protecting minors from harmful sexual material on the Internet.