During the web development process, there is no room for inflexibility or rigidity.
Instead, web developers need to be able to work closely with clients to understand their needs and to address changing requirements as they evolve and develop.
So, what does this mean in practice?
Collaborative Consultation
Web development is not simply a transactional process. Each party has critical insight and expertise that they bring to the table — and these must be interpreted and translated in the right way.
For example, you expect your web developer to have a strong technical knowledge of website building, as well an empirical understanding of how users will react to different elements. However, you don’t expect your web developer to have an in-depth understanding of your business. This is where you come in.
Your web developer should be ready to work with you to gain this understanding and to gather insight into what you are all about.
By providing all information upfront, the web developer will use this to develop the best strategy for the build. This includes how the website should work, not just the photos and text on the pages.
Remember that what may look like a small change to the way a website looks or functions, can have big implications to the way it is developed. While last minute changes can usually be accommodated, it is likely to form a new section of the initial project scope, meaning additional costs and time.
Melding Insight
This insight and understanding is something of a raw material. From here, your web developer needs to apply their own knowledge and skill set in order to craft the right kind of website that meets your needs.
This is where true personalisation occurs. Since no two businesses are the same and no two business websites are identical, a tailored approach is necessary. With this in mind, you need a service that is tailored to your specific aims and not restricted by the parameters built into elements such as themes and page builders.
Ongoing Collaboration
A business is not a static entity. In order to meet the requirements of your customers and achieve increasing rates of conversion across a range of different channels, you need to be able to evolve your business over time.
On the one hand, perhaps you want to launch a new product or service or expand your approach to reach new and exciting markets. On the other hand, you may find that your business operations are no longer achieving the results they once did and some tweaks and recalibrations are required.
When building websites, your developer must be able to offer results that scale alongside your business. Additionally, they should be willing to work with you directly on an ongoing basis to create a site that is not only robust enough to address immediate aims but also flexible enough to accommodate any future changes you want to make.
Of course, you call upon a web development team because they offer expertise that your in-house team perhaps does not have. But remember that the web development process should always be a communicative and collaborative one — this is the kind of process that we aim to tap into when we build websites for customers.
Don’t be afraid to ask anything about their approach on the way to finding the best fit for your project. You need to make sure that the service you receive is configured with your aims in mind, and this means asking the right questions.
