Weird topic, coming from a web development firm, right? It’s definitely a little off the wall, but I think it’s helpful for people to read about. In talking with prospective clients about starting a new project, I hear the same fears expressed over and over. It’s somewhat of a hindrance in gaining people’s trust because of their past experiences.
Here’s our top 7 reasons why people don’t like web developers:
1. My web developer doesn’t listen to me.
Having trouble getting your web designer to give you what you want? You’re not alone. Many times a web designer or any kind of graphic designer will have a pre-conceived idea in his head about what he thinks your project should look like. Or maybe he just didn’t really pay much attention when you told him what you needed. The design he created may look great…but it’s not what you were looking for.
We try really hard at Fresh Look to make sure you get what you want. We’ll certainly give our opinion…but the end result has to be something that you’re 100% happy about.
2. My web developer is impossible to get in touch with.
So you are planning a big event in 2 weeks, and you need to have an announcement posted to your website. Problem is, your web developer isn’t answering his phone or emails. Having a hard-to-reach developer is a terrible problem. You need updates, and you need them timely.
When trying to decide on someone to handle your website, make sure there is something in your contract about how long it takes to have updates made. 2-3 days is a good range usually, and same day updates are always very nice.
3. My web developer is really far away.
It’s pretty common to have a web development firm in another state or even country do your website. The nature of the business doesn’t necessarily require a face-to-face meeting. However it’s also sometimes nice to be somewhat close to your developer, even if it’s just a couple hours away. This isn’t a huge issue for most people, but going back to #2, it makes it harder to get in touch with them sometimes when they’re far away.
4. My web developer speaks “techie” at me.
This is something that we try REALLY hard not to do, but sometimes even the most customer friendly web developer can get lost in techie-jargon. Don’t get too mad at us…we stare at code all day long.
At Fresh Look we are experts in business and marketing, not just pure website building. We understand where you’re coming from, and most importantly we know web users and what appeals to them.
5. My web developer disappeared
This is a major problem, and unfortunately fairly common. There are a lot of “here today, gone tomorrow” web developers out there, especially in the freelance world. It’s a bad situation to be in, as often times they have usernames and passwords that you need to take care of your website.
Our advice – make sure that you keep track of your own usernames and passwords, even if you don’t think there’s a threat of your developer disappearing. Another good idea is to ask for a copy of your website on a CD for backup purposes.
6. My web developer is too expensive
This is all relative of course…but a lot of people do not realize what a fair price for web development is. Obviously there are different definitions about what “fair” is depending on who you talk to, but some prices really are outrageous. Maybe because it’s a relatively new industry (the internet as we know it is only about 20 years old), or maybe because it’s just too much of a hassle to look for a cheaper, reliable web developer…who knows – but lots of people overpay.
7. I didn’t get what I wanted
This is not always the fault of the web designer…sometimes it’s just a lack of understanding on the part of the client. However, it’s important that the developer clearly communicate to the client exactly what it is that they’ll be getting as a final product. Obviously they won’t know exactly what it will look like before the project starts, but they should clearly understand how it will work, how they will maintain it, etc.
Our hope is that you won’t be able to relate to this topic at all, because you’ve only had fantastic experiences with your web designer. But either way, hopefully you’ll be able to avoid any unfortunate run-ins in the future and who knows…maybe next month we’ll have a new article “7 Reasons Why People Love Their Web Developer”.
