So, you have decided that you wish to take the next step in business and want to take your business online. Your decision is right, but how you go about it matters more than anything. Web development choices are not as easy as they were a decade ago. Earlier, all you needed to do was to contact a web development company and your website was live in no time! Today, there are so many overwhelming choices to select from that it is easy to get confused.
Here are a few things to consider before selecting a web development company for your project:
Technology considerations
The technology scenario has changed and today there are a number of choices when it comes to technology selection got building a website. You can select from open source or proprietary software. Well, even if you select open source development, there are a number of choices. PHP development is one of the most common choices that businesses prefer. Selecting a content management system like WordPress or Joomla makes the task easy both for the developer as well as the business. When it comes to updates and addition of new content to the website, using a content management system is a wise choice. On the other hand proprietary software has a strong backing and support. So, it usually depends on the type of business that you are taking online. Ecommerce businesses are better off using content management platforms like Magento, as they require very frequent updating of the products and other content. Other businesses who wish to take their services online could use WordPress. Well, it's important that you consult with an expert before you take the plunge into the web world.
Company or a freelancer
Well, depending on the size and complexity of your project, you can decide whether you wish to hire a team or a company or a freelancer will suffice. The quality of work may not be very different, but the pricing will definitely be! If you have a massive website in mind, may be the diverse experience of a team will help. If the site is pretty straight forward, a freelancer with the right kind of experience should be just right.
Portfolio
Whatever technology you select, or whether you go with a freelancer or hire the best web development company, it is highly essential that you check out the portfolio. After you see what the company or individual has done in the past, you know what to expect for your project. You can easily analyze whether the style matches what you are expecting for your project.
Pricing
Finally, the price you negotiate matters. It is always a good idea to get a detailed quotation from a few companies before you finalize one. The lowest price isn't always the best, and hence it is essential that you take a look are some of the previous work done by the developers.
Finally, make sure that you read online reviews and then base your opinion after carefully considering all the factors mentioned above!