What Should You Look For In A Web Developer?

admin - October 21, 2015July 14, 2023

Brisbane! We know. We feel your feels. Web developers are a dime a dozen in this city and they’ll all chew your ear off about exactly why they’re “different”. 

It happens everywhere. So with that in mind, we thought we’d offer a few tidbits on some key things to look for when engaging anyone for web design and web development.

Here, we’re going over how to find a good web developer in Brisbane. Let’s begin!

Passion for Web Development

And no, we don’t mean someone who plans to spend the rest of their lives in the same job, we’re talking about people who live and breathe the stuff! 

We once had a business approach us because, in their words, “the reason he chose to come and see us is that he used to walk past our office at night and see us still working hard – and he knew that we lived and breathed it and we didn’t just cut off at 5.”

Now while it’s obvious that these sorts of expectations need to be kept within reason (web developers are only human after all), you should make sure that in a pinch or with a deadline looming, your web developers will go above and beyond to deliver.

Ability to Speak Your Language

Just because you’re not a web developer, doesn’t mean you should resign yourself to not understanding exactly what it is that is being proposed to you and how it will impact your business. 

Your website and/or app is one of the most important channels for your business, even if you don’t use it to sell anything or only use it for informational purposes. 

Do not go into a project without a good understanding of what it is that you’re embarking upon. Anyone who doesn’t try to help you understand what it is that they’re implementing in a way that you can understand should be shown the door.

A good way to figure out how to find a good web developer is to see what kind of jargon they throw at you. Do you leave the meeting completely bewildered? Chances are, they were just trying to impress you with big words.

True experts don’t need to hide behind jargon. They should be able to explain complex technical matters in simple, business-focused terms. After all, the project should be about you, your business and its website, not them and what they think they know.

Experience with “Business Critical” Projects

This is an important one. Has the company you’re talking to ever dealt with such projects? 

If you’re embarking on something that your entire business (or even just large enough parts of it) will revolve around, why on Earth would you entrust such a project to anyone but a web design company that has dealt with exactly such a situation?

Ask for examples, ask for solutions and most importantly, ask how they plan to meet your most important objectives. 

Then refer to our point about speaking your language. 

Expertise in Multiple Platforms, but Yours In Particular

Building in Drupal? WordPress website? Whatever your platform, you’d be surprised how many people you speak to are actually just winging it. 

#1: Ask for examples.

#2: Ensure they’ve worked across multiple platforms to confirm that you have a talent pool and not just a one-trick pony working on your website.

Someone Local Who Puts You at Ease

If you’re in Brisbane, we’re in Brisbane. Drop by our office, enjoy a beer (or a coffee) and we’ll look you in the eye when we answer your questions. 

Anyone who says that getting along with those you’ll work with on a project isn’t important likely doesn’t have a lot of experience. 

Creating a website is a tough, long, detailed and, at times, trying process. The web developers you choose should be your partners who are invested and along for the ride.

But also…

Important Note: Do Your Research

Don’t just throw everything into the hands of the first company you find. The best possible outcome can only be achieved if you participate in the project and have some understanding of what you need. 

As much as translation skills are important on the web team’s part, arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can handle. Think about the most important aspects of the site you want to build and do a bit of reading. 

Don’t assume you’re an expert afterwards, but it will at least give you a bit of savvy during conversations.

Trust our web design experts to help you get your website up and running. With our strong, in-house team of web developers, we speak your language to get the job done. Contact us today!