| What to consider when looking for quality web | | | | evaluate a web developer's designs is to |
| site development | | | | their own website's portfolio. Any |
| | | | established website developers will offer a |
| Once you are done planning and preparing for | | | | portfolio of web sites they have created for |
| your web site, the next step in establishing | | | | other clients, as well as links to the sites. |
| an online presence is finding the right | | | | Depending on what you are looking for in a |
| company, contractor, or consultant to deliver | | | | web developer, some things you may want to |
| the web development services you need. | | | | look for in regards to this portfolio |
| | | | include; |
| However important a website's appearance is, | | | | |
| the performance and results of any website | | | | - Is their work generally similar in design, |
| rely largely on what's beneath its surface; | | | | or do their clients' sites look unique and |
| that which is not seen or fully understood by | | | | appropriate for their purpose? |
| most. This article is not intended to be a | | | | |
| general how to guide on comparing prices and | | | | - Are their designs and sites consistent and |
| services, but rather advice from an expert on | | | | appealing throughout? |
| what you should consider when looking for | | | | |
| professional website design, web development, | | | | - Are any of the sites flashy and largely |
| and internet promotion that you may not | | | | graphical? |
| already be aware of. | | | | |
| | | | - Are there videos, animation, or custom |
| Differences between Building, Designing and | | | | graphics? |
| Marketing web presences | | | | |
| | | | - Are there any e-commerce sites, shopping |
| Understanding the differences between | | | | carts, or other interactive elements? |
| designing a website, building a website, and | | | | |
| making a website visible online will help | | | | Evaluating Website Builds |
| ensure that you choose a website developer | | | | |
| that can meet all your goals and demands. | | | | Unfortunately, the people who can spot a good |
| | | | website creator are usually web site builders |
| Building proper and professional web sites | | | | themselves. Whereas a website appears to |
| which perform and operate optimally is a | | | | most people as simply presentation and |
| highly technical process. This includes a | | | | function, the truth is that the elements most |
| website's load time, certain aspects of its | | | | detrimental to many online presences' success |
| speed of operation, the ability for the web | | | | rates are factors that most people and even |
| site to work properly and coherently across | | | | many website developers overlook or are often |
| the many different web browsers and operating | | | | simply unaware of. |
| systems, and many aspects of potential online | | | | |
| visibility. Each of these factors are | | | | There are only a few things that someone |
| dependant upon the build of the website - the | | | | without a website development background can |
| way in which it was programmed and created. | | | | easily evaluate in terms of building websites |
| Properly building a website is something many | | | | properly: |
| web designers and online marketers fail to be | | | | |
| concerned with or take interest in, and | | | | - Look for any inconsistencies across pages, |
| frankly they are often unable to handle the | | | | odd characters, missing graphics, forms not |
| process correctly. | | | | working, pages not found, or any other |
| | | | technical problems you may be able to |
| Creating effective and appropriate custom | | | | identify on the websites. |
| website designs on the other hand is an | | | | |
| artistic and creative process. You want your | | | | - If you have access to several different |
| web site to be easy and intuitive to use and | | | | computers with various operating systems |
| navigate. It should be enticing and | | | | (Windows Vista, Windows 98, Mac OS, etc.) and |
| interesting to browse through, and you want | | | | web browsers (Internet Explorer, Fire Fox, |
| the mood and emotion your web site portrays | | | | Opera, Safari, Netscape, etc.) you can visit |
| to reflect your identity and image branding. | | | | the sites on different browsers and computers |
| Not only will this catch your audience's | | | | and check for consistency and functionality. |
| attention - it will enhance your credibility | | | | |
| to deliver the products or services you are | | | | Evaluating Online Promotion and Web Marketing |
| promising. The design of a website is | | | | |
| extremely important, and should be managed | | | | Trying to evaluate website marketing and |
| accordingly. | | | | online promotion services can easily become |
| | | | confusing. With all the technical terms and |
| Online Promotion and Marketing of web sites | | | | fine print, it is often hard to know what you |
| encompasses all aspects of a website's online | | | | are really getting. For instance, many Search |
| visibility, including internet advertising, | | | | Engine Optimization (SEO) companies guarantee |
| visits from search engines, links from | | | | such things as first page listings with a |
| external web pages, and so on. Depending on a | | | | major search engine. Often, however, they |
| website's goals and purposes, market, and | | | | will use technical terms to provide clients |
| competition, internet marketing is often the | | | | with something else - usually a paid |
| most beneficial and cost effective form of | | | | advertisement that appears on the first page, |
| promotion available to a company. A website | | | | which is not nearly as valuable. |
| that pulls in around 10,000 visitors a month | | | | |
| and generates, say, $30,000 a month in | | | | The best advice I can give for evaluating |
| income, could possibly generate $100,000 a | | | | online promotion performance is to obtain |
| month if only it had 40,000 or so visitors. | | | | actual performance results, and preferably |
| The problem is, as a highly technical and | | | | references. Evaluate what was promised by the |
| constantly evolving area, most websites are | | | | website promoter, what was actually |
| not developed with search engine optimization | | | | delivered, and the value of the marketing. |
| (SEO) or other important aspects of internet | | | | There are no set limits to the performance of |
| marketing for websites in mind. In fact, | | | | a website; all you can do is try to figure |
| studies reveal that as many as 90% of all | | | | out who can provide you with the biggest |
| business-related websites currently on the | | | | return on investment and the service most |
| internet are not built or developed with any | | | | valuable to your site. |
| regard to online visibility! | | | | |
| | | | Also, be weary of any companies that make |
| Evaluating prospective Web Developers | | | | specific search engine result guarantees - no |
| | | | one can directly control their results, as |
| It is important for anyone who is seeking | | | | algorithms and competition evolve. No search |
| website development services to understand | | | | results are set in stone. |
| that many website designers know surprisingly | | | | |
| little about properly building or marketing | | | | Choosing the right web developer for you |
| websites. Likewise, many website developers | | | | |
| know very little about design and online | | | | There are companies and consultants who |
| promotion, and many internet marketers are | | | | specialize in single areas of design, |
| not concerned with web design or properly | | | | building, or promotion of websites, offering |
| building web sites. Understanding what you | | | | only these services, and others who |
| need and what you will be receiving is | | | | specialize in the entire aspect of web |
| imperative to the success of your web | | | | presences. While choosing the right solution |
| presence, and automatically puts you at an | | | | for your particular website depends on your |
| advantage over 9 out of 10 websites. | | | | specific needs and goals, having an idea of |
| | | | the various options and knowing what to look |
| Evaluating Web Design - Portfolios | | | | for in a web developer allows you to make a |
| | | | more informed and better decision. |
| The only place you should have to look to | | | | |