One of the dilemmas facing business owners when they are ready to outsource their new website to a developer is: how do they know they are choosing the right designer/developer for the task?

After all, they are looking for someone to create their first impression online for their business. In the case of an online store, they hope to find someone who is up to date with all the latest software possibilities, and someone who has the ability to create a secure environment for their potential shoppers. This is not something to take lightly.

A FEW INTERESTING NUMBERS

• Every 30 seconds more than $1.2 million is generated in the online e-commerce world, according to Adweek.com

• More than 40 per cent of the global population now have an internet connection! You can’t afford not to have an e-commerce store, let’s face it!

• Eight out of 10 consumers will shop online if offered free shipping.

• The internet world has morphed to the point where there are now 966 million websites in the world today according to

hostingfacts.com

• An interesting yet scary statistic is that around 37,000 websites are hacked EVERY day! So, not only should you choose your website developer carefully, but you should definitely be looking at secured hosting for your online property!

• With all this said, choosing the right developer is paramount to the success of your online business.

RED FLAGS TO LOOK OUT FOR

With the large and growing number of websites online today, you can’t simply have just a website — you need one that stands out from the massses, is appealing and that will hold the attention of the user. The last thing you need is for the potential customer to come to your site and immediately hit the dreaded back button!

Here are a few red flags to be on the look out for when choosing a developer:

1. Portfolio — if you can’t find a portfolio with projects that your designer has worked on in the past, and I am talking about RECENT past here, this is a sign that you need to keep looking! This can extend to finding a portfolio with links to websites that look totally different. This usually suggests that the website owner had a new site created and chose not to keep the one they had done by this designer.

2. Jargon, Jargon, Jargon — If talking to your designer about your new website project is like talking to someone who speaks a totally different language, run! Every technical field has its own jargon, I get that, but your designer must be able to communicate with you and vice versa. Your ideas matter, and you need to be able to impart them and have the feeling that you and your webmaster are on the same “page”.

3. Once they start… then what? — If you have selected someone and the work has begun, are they communicating with you regularly? Do you get updates as to the status of your site? It is never a good sign when you give a designer the task of creating your website and then you don’t hear back from them for weeks. Again, communication is key! (Unfortunately, by this time, you have made a commitment — so always ask for client references before getting started).

4. Apps and websites are not the same thing! Do not choose an app developer to do your website coding. These are two totally different processes technically and creatively speaking. I am not saying that a developer who is talented in both areas does not exist, but they are rare!

All in all, it is important that you are very careful when choosing the right developer for your website creation. Wherever possible, get references, look at past work and do your due diligence before gettting started. We are talking about the first impression of your business to a massive global marketplace after all.

Melanie Phillibert is an international award-winning web developer and Internet marketing consultant. She can be contacted via e-mail at melanie@internetmarketingsynergies.com.