When you are ready to develop a website, there are plenty of web developers to choose from in the Phoenix area offering a wide range of products and prices. Some customers will automatically choose the lowest price and some will choose the fanciest name. But with website development, what matters are the company’s adaptability to your needs and a solid reputation with its clients. Investing some time upfront to choose the right website developer is probably the most important step you can take.
Some big details in web development will probably be the same across most companies you talk to, such as the choice of layout and navigation options. But as with many projects, some of the most important details are also small details. For a successful finished project that looks great and functions for years to come or can easily be updated as needed, these small details are critical.
Custom and Semi-custom Websites
Website wizards that let you click and paste your information might be easy to use and inexpensive. But those types of sites can sometimes produce code that is not search engine friendly and might be incompatible with some browsers. A web developer that understands the coding process can provide you with a lot more options. Even if you choose to start with website templates to help with the budget, a good website developer can help you customize it beyond just adding photos and text.
And a full custom site requires not just a good website developer, but one with plenty of experience at getting the small details right. For example, all websites are collections of files. Proper naming and structure to those files will not only make your site more efficient, it will also add to the longevity of your investment by making the website easy to maintain and upgrade.
Website Development to the Highest Standards
For custom web design and website SEO, the code must utilize “white hat” techniques. If a web developer uses coding that circumvents acceptable conventions or outright tries to cheat the system, known as “black hat,” any search engine that recognizes this can ban your site, thereby killing your incoming traffic from search results.
Finally, any new website should be compliant with standards issued by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), widely regarded as the leader in the international developers community. While these standards are not mandatory, using website development that includes W3C-validated CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and XHTML (Extended HyperText Markup Language) helps contribute to the future intercommunication of the World Wide Web. And that contributes to the success and longevity of your website project.
For most companies, web design and development are a significant investment in their future. The new site is expected to promote sales, advertise the brand, and be a source of customer contact. To do all of that efficiently with smooth and seamless functionality, it is important to choose the right web developer to begin with.