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Finding Somebody to Build Your Site - Lesson 3If you decide that you would rather get somebody else to build your site, after all time is money, then there are a few things that you should consider. The cost of a professionally designed site will naturally vary depending on what features you would like to include and the size of your site; but as a guideline, be aware it will cost you at least $500 for a simple 10-page site. Additionally, you should also budget for monthly maintenance (updates, improvements and fixes). Don't Waste Your Time and MoneyBefore you go looking for somebody to build your site spend some time looking at other web sites and getting to know what can actually be done on the Internet. What do you like? What do you hate? Do some research on the competition and see what you are up against. All this should have been part of your design stage. Having a clear design will save you both time and money as the web developer you choose will know exactly what to build for you.Do not skip the design phase! Finding DevelopersA great way to find a web developer that you like is to determine who built those sites you like! Make a note of the sites you like and then contact the company and ask them who built their site. You can build up a list of prospective web designers quickly by doing this. Keep in mind the size of your project too; if your budget is limited then it is probably best to steer away from high-end development shops. Another great way to find developers is to look through directory listing such as The Firm List or you could tender your project out to the marketplace and have people come to you. Elance is a great place where you can get people to bid on your projects. You can even find people to write content for you here too! Developer ChecklistSo you've got some likely candidates to do the work for you, the question now is... Which one do I choose?The best method for evaluation is to look at their previous work. This will immediately cut down the number of candidates. Try and determine if the company has experience creating sites similar to your own and has dealt with the functionality that you require. If possible try and contact some of their clients and see if they have been happy with the work done. Once your list is a manageable size, contact the sales department of each firm and send them your requirements. You should contact more than one as not all of them may be available to do the work. Additionally, you want to be able to compare the proposals. You should send out at least five requests. If you don't get enough responses then keep sending out requests until you do! Hopefully the bids that you receive will fall within your budget and you will be able to pick and choose based on which style you like best. If this is not the case then try looking for less established web developers who are keen for new business or offer first-time incentives. Remember you should always negotiate on the price. If you are having trouble making up your mind and you are in the same geographic region as the companies why not pay them a visit. Do they seem competent? Are the likeable? Can you imagine yourself working closely with them? If the answer is yes, then problem solved! A final note when selecting a developer: make sure that your contract states that you retain the intellectual property rights to your web site. This will ensure that if you decide to change developers down the track you get to take all the source code with you. Build ItYour involvement with your web site doesn't stop once you have selected the developer. To ensure that you get everything you want, and that the project remains on-time and on-budget, you maintain regular contact. A few final tips:
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