How To Find a Good Web Developer

The biggest problems you are going to face as a web site owner is that you need to be able to update your site and maintain it.  If you can't do these efforts, then at some point you're going to need someone to do them for you.

There are a number of things that can go wrong, but if your site is never going to change, once it's up, it should stay up for some time and work just fine.  However if your site allows users to input text, modify a profile, or if your site allows users to input data of any type, you might at some point have an issue where unexpected errors occur.

That is of course if your data input pages are not scanning the users input for correctness and what you might expect them to enter.

For the most part, sites run very well and could do so for a very, very long time.  However, when you introduce variables like user input, sometimes unexpected problems can occur.  It's just the nature of the beast.

Another example is if your site is somehow dependent on another site for data.  Did the original author of the web site account for that external service going down and not being available.  If not, you will surely see some errors at some point.

Are you able to make these changes yourself? If not, you'll have to find someone you can trust to be able to make changes for you. For many sites out there, it isn't a question of why you'll need someone, but a question of when you'll need someone. Problems happen unexpectedly, and when they do you want to get them corrected as quick as you can.

Leaving a visible issue up on your site isn't an option. Your visitors will see the issues and begin to question the legitimacy of your web site. Of course, these things are highly subjective and really are relative to the issue, the web sites view of the issue and user experiencing the issue. All these factors lend value to the importance of the issue, and ultimately if it's an issue that needs to be addressed.

If it is an issue that needs to be addressed and corrected, will you be able to make those changes, or will you be dependent upon another resource to make those changes?  People are going to fall into two camps, those that have a person or staff to make those changes, or are able to make changes themselves, and the other camp are those that don't have the knowledge or staff to make changes. 

If you don't have the ability to effect change on a web site, then you'll be looking to hire someone to make those changes.  So how can you tell you are hiring a person that won't cause more problems and is able to do so without taking an extensive amount of time?  Of course this can translate into more cost to get things done.

There are several things you can do to ensure the person you are speaking with to make changes on your site is qualified and able to make changes without causing more problems and headache for you, and someone that is able to do the job and perhaps guide you down a road of increasing improvements and enhanced functionality.

Some things you as a site owner can do to ensure the person you are about to hire will do a good job are:

1. Check references - Every web developer should be able to point a number of sites that they have worked on.  Ask for these and check them out.  Even try to speak to the owners of those sites to get a reference from them, and perhaps see if they would recommend the developer.
2. Talk back and forth - You should be able to communicate with the developer.  If they are always saying "yes yes yes", be wary.  Many developers think they can handle a job only to find that once they dig in, they become lost and end up causing more problems, either immediately or the problems will be masked only to appear later down the road when the developer is long gone.
3. Listen to the developer - Are they raising good points?  Do they seem to understand your site?  Do they start talking about things they see on your site that the average user will see, or do they seem to have an insight that only a developer would be able to see?
   
   If you are not as familiar with the technology your site is using, you might not be able to see through the typical "sales" speak and cover-up talk that is only intended to make you believe they can do the job, and do it correctly. 
   
4. Do they offer suggestions - A good developer will see several things wrong with your site, if they are there to be seen.  They'll offer those up as possible suggestions for you to consider fixing or doing something with.
5. Do they make you feel comfortable - At the end of the conversation, if there are still open questions in your mind, or you don't feel comfortable with the developers skills, personality, or something else that would make you question the developer, by all means attempt to clear those areas up so you obtain a comfort and trust level with the developer.
6. Do they always answer with 'Yes' - Those that always answer with a 'Yes' without hesitation or without any follow-up confirming questions before they respond with a yes are surely suspect.  Make sure that the developer isn't just saying yes to make you happen and land a job with you. 
   

At the end of the day, you'll find there are many so-called developers out there that sat they can do the work, but are not really the right developers for the job.  Conversely there are many that can do the job.  It's up to you, the web site owner to find the right developer for your site. 

These guidelines for finding the right developer are just that, guidelines.  Some people don't interview well, but are certainly more than qualified to do the job and do it right.  When you interview the developer, keep these ideas in mind and you'll find that you are able to weed through the phony developers and reduce your list of potentials down to a set of well qualified individual developers.