As an office supplies company in today’s world, you need a website that ticks all the boxes. More and more buyers are turning to the Internet for everything from ink cartridges to a box of copier paper. If you don’t have a decent website, even e commerce, you are losing potential customers every day.
It is important that your website looks professional, it’s easy to navigate around and everything works smoothly. If you are selling a product online, it is essential that you have an online shopping cart that functions properly. As a user, there is nothing more infuriating than broken links or error pages!
Most office supplies companies won’t have the technical knowledge to create great websites on their own. Luckily, there are many competent web developers out there that can create and maintain the perfect website for your business.
Any time you hire someone to do something on your website you should ensure that this person knows what he or she is doing. Here are a few things to look for in a web developer.
Get examples of past work and references
A truly great web developer will have a portfolio full of work for you to browse through to prove their expertise. They will also be able to give you references that will vouch for their work. If they are unwilling to do these two things, you may need to find a different developer!
Newbies to the field of web development may not have built up their portfolio yet, but they should not be discounted as valid developers. New developers will have fresh new ideas, whereas developers that have been around for awhile may be stuck in a rut. A newbie should still be able to provide at least one reference.
The willingness to work together
One thing you do not want is a web developer that is so stuck on their own ideas that they are not listening to you. It is your business, and you should have a say in how your website looks and what functions it contains. A well paid web developer may believe they know more than you, and they might. But a good developer will take your suggestions into consideration and explain why something you want may not work.
Price
Many times it has been proven that you get what you pay for. Figure out your budget and find a developer you are comfortable with that will work with you on the amount you are able to spend. Don’t automatically choose the lowest rate. Your website says a lot about you and your business, and you want it to stand out from the crowd.
There are many competent web developers out there, so finding one is usually not a problem. The problem is deciding which one you want to hire. By following these simple guidelines, you can sort through the good, the bad and the ugly.
