Where are all the good developers? A brief guide to hiring a great web developer for your website

2. A brief guide to hiring a great web developer for your website In the mobile world, every business wants leverage online platforms to build their brand identity. Marketing experts tout the power of social media outreach, influencer marketing, email newsletters - but how many people are actually clear on what they are trying to achieve with all these efforts? Without focus and a clear direction for your web efforts, you may just as well be putting your money down the garbage chute!

3. The first place most people start with is their website itself. Still before you even put your money down and outsource your website to someone, you need to know exactly what a web developer does and how their work will help grow your business. You want to be asking these questions at the outset, and not after you’ve already had someone botch up your website. If you want to hire a good web developer in Toronto, you need to know what a web developer actually does. Before we jump in to talking about “where” all the good web developers are hiding, let us first understand the basics of hiring a web developer.

4. What does a web developer do? A web developer is someone who designs, develops and maintains websites. S/he is responsible for programming the code that tells a website how to function. Web developers build the website for easy, intuitive navigation. An appealing and easy-to-navigate website will hold a greater appeal for your target audience and likely showcase your products or services in a way that converts more customers.

5. How can I find a Good developer? • First, let's tackle the where. • Hiring a good web developer for your company is crucial because your website is literally your virtual storefront! You may find web developers on online freelance sites such as Upwork.com or Freelancer.com, but it is important that you hire the right talent based on their past work. If they can provide solid references, even better. Here are a list of resources you can tap into if you want to find a developer for your website: • Upwork.com • Fiverr.com • 99Designs.com • Shopify Experts • Ask friends and colleagues • Look on LinkedIn

6. Decide what you want Now that you have a list of places to explore, you need to get clear on what it is that you want out of the website. More traffic? More conversions? Just a solid brand presence online where you can refer potential customers for more information? There’s no way to get your desired outcomes if you are not clear about what exactly you want. It also helps to do some light research on how websites are built so you can guide the web developer intelligently. Do you just want to create the logo? Maybe you just need to revamp your website design or optimize pages, clean up your content layout or add custom features to your website. Once you are clear on what the goal is, you can define a clear set of deliverables with the web developer and avoid any website development nightmares.

7. Don’t let pricing be the only concern In a market flooded with unreliable providers, it is hard to find a skilled web developer worth their salt. If you are truly looking for a good developer, then weight their skills and offering against the price they are charging. Don’t just go with the cheapest one because that can end up costing you a lot of money in the long run when they botch up the job and you have to take your haphazardly coded website elsewhere for clean up. The thing is, good developers are seldom cheap and cheap developers are rarely any good. Sure, you need to bargain to save your money - but never sacrifice quality in the long run.

8. Say No to Impulsive Hiring Take your time when hiring. Sometimes project managers and business owners have a tendency to hire a web developer in a hurry after changing their marketing strategy. If you are not familiar with the web development world, this hardly leaves any time for you to research the developer’s skillset and eligibility. A potential web developer could be a great asset to your team, suggesting ways in which you can improve the entire customer experience to maximize conversions OR they could be disruptive to the entire team and incompetent with their web development skills. Do the research before you hire - don’t just follow a ‘feeling’ that this person seems to know what they are doing. Ask for samples, references - proof that they have done a good job in the past!

9.  Gauge their soft skills There is a list of technical skills a developer should possess. Then there are the soft skills. While soft skills are tricky to judge, looking for a developer with great interpersonal skills can mean the difference between a pleasant working relationship and a frustrating one - regardless of the actual quality of their work. Someone who is quick to respond, takes feedback positively, has great communication skills and honors your deadlines is a total keeper! Finding a good web developer is not rocket science. While it may seem like all the good developers are hiding under a rock, with some simple research and due diligence, you will be able to scout out a developer who is a great fit for your project.

10. Even if you manage to change your readers’ minds on a particular issue, you don't want to leave relevant questions unanswered. Satisfy your reader’s curiosity by delivering information that you have ‘promised’ - through your headline, your hook or your introduction. When you have a clear, consistent message about what you want them to do ( e.g. read this book to change the way you think about food, buy this product to increase your sales), readers find it easier to navigate your brand. At the end of the day, you want to balance your story telling with a clear, practical brand message or call-to-action - especially if you want your ‘literature’ to translate into sales.