Kick the Web Development Blues

In a post at the True You Marketing blog, Tina Ferguson outlines the most common mistakes companies make when they create a Website. No reason you have to make any of them. Here's a sampling of how to get the best bang for your Web development buck:

Get to know the technology. Ferguson says vendors want to work with marketing or communications departments because they're less likely to understand the ins and outs of ASP, HTML, Java Script and Flash. She recalls one meeting where the marketers paid more attention to the vendor's shoes than the technical presentation—and wound up paying $500,000 for a site that should have cost $10,000. Avoid this fate by including your IT department in all buying decisions.

Know your position in the marketplace. "Your place and status … determine what companies charge you for their services," says Ferguson. "If you are at the top of the market don't expect too many people offering bargain web development and design services to you."

Ask to see working client sites. All of those great layouts a vendor shows you might be nothing more than stylish mock-ups. Ask for URLs that you can access and assess using your own Internet connection.

The Po!nt: Says Ferguson, "I have seen sites that don't match [a] brand, take forever to load, SEO that doesn't matter … and even navigation issues that you would think don't exist [in] this day and age." All it takes is the right approach to skirt all of these issues when you develop or overhaul your Website.

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