How often have you said to yourself, “I need to hire a Web developer”? My guess is that it is not something you do every day, unless you are in the business. I suspect that the question of hiring a Web developer or hiring a search engine optimization (SEO) professional is relatively foreign to you, so allow me to help you.
When you shop for commercial real estate, the experts will tell you that the three most important factors are, in this order, 1.) Location 2.) Location 3.) Location. As for the building itself, some of the considerations are size, features, accessibility, ammenities, legal issues, etcetera. The cost will also be a factor, but if you get these basics right, the cost is a hurdle that you will make every effort to leap.
These principles of location (SEO), size, features, accessibility, ammenities, and legal issues hold true in Website development as well, so before you hire a Web developer, you should consider how they will address each of these matters.
Hiring a Web Developer: Website Location
I am surprised how many people think that because somebody can find them online by searching for their company name that it is enough. These people are missing the whole picture. If your company name is Bob’s Bait Shop and somebody Googles that, it is only because they knew you exist. That is not how marketing works. The only way to be successful online is if people who do not know you exist can find you. In the instance of Bob’s Bait Shop, Bob needs to be found when people search for worms, or stink bait, fishing lures, night crawlers, minnows, fishing rods, and boating supplies. This is what I mean by location of your Website, and it is very seldom to find a need for a Website that cannot benefit from a good location on the Internet. Hiring a Web developer, alone, may make it possible to Google your company name, but it will not likely set your cash register ablaze.
Web Developers and SEOs Are Not The Same
Just because somebody is a Web developer does not mean they have a clue about SEO. Also, many SEO professionals will know how to develop a Website, but it is not really their cup of tea. If you consider the hourly rates of Web developers or SEOs, there is generally a huge contrast, which explains why SEOs will generally stick to their area of expertise. They are both important to your Internet marketing, but I have found that too seldom these two experts do not play well together. It is common that the Web developer / Web designer is more concerned with aesthetics and layout, whereas the SEO’s job is to be sure that enough people will actually see the Website. These two divergent concerns often have technological conflicts, and if they are good at what they do, they will likely have big egos to preserve. With practice, they can get along, and once in a while, they can even be found in the same person or company. When you make the leap to hire a Web developer, you will be wise to find one that understands SEO, but it is even better if you find them in the same place.
How To Find a Web Developer and SEO
A sad fact for many people seeking to hire a Web developer is that they will go with the first referral from a friend who says “I have a neighbor kid who can build a Website for you”, or they know somebody who has a full time job but does a little freelance work on the side. You found my blog, so you can likely understand the difference between the professional Web developer and SEO and the kid who just unwrapped his new copy of Dreamweaver. As for the freelance guy with a day job, why isn’t he doing this full time from the comfort of his pajamas if he is really good at it? Your best answer is more likely to be to find a Web developer using Google. A Web developer with a good search engine ranking and a good looking and useable Website will normally suggest that there is the capacity to do the same for you. It is often comfortable to hire a Web developer in your general location, but I do a lot of work for companies far away from my location in Topeka, Kansas.
Hiring a Web Developer: Legal Issues and Liabilities
This is an area where I am often dumbfounded. I have been shocked on many occasions to be contacted by companies trying to resolve the ownership of their programming code, content, and even their domain name, because they hired an inexperienced or unethical Web developer. The concerns of legal and liability issues when hiring a Web developer should not be taken lightly. You should review their contracts carefully, and if you have questions, pay an attorney to review it also. If they offer you a “handshake deal”, run away, fast. There is good reason for a clearly defined Website development contract, and it will benefit you to understand it before signing it or paying a deposit.
Web Development and SEO Related Blog Posts
I have written many blog posts relating to hiring a Web developer or SEO, and I hope that they will help you to find your next Web development company. I would like my company to be the one you choose, but in any case, I want you to find this information useful, above all.
- SEO and Web Development Hourly Rates
- SEO in a Nutshell
- How Much Does a Website Cost?
- Websites and Organic Search Engine Optimization
- Can Do-It-Yourself Search Engine Optimization (DIY SEO) Work?
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Art or Science?
