Why should you use the services of a web developer in Birmingham?
In the digital age, your business must have an online presence through the form of a website. Whether it’s just for people to know more about what you do, whether it’s an online forum or even an online shop for people to buy your products. More people than ever before would rather shop online than go through the inconvenience of getting up and travelling to the shops themselves. If you run a business in Birmingham, there’s plenty of reasons why you need a web developer and that’s what we’re going to be looking at today.
Firstly, let’s distinguish exactly what a web developer is, as they can commonly be confused with ‘web designers. To put it simply, developers work in the background and take care of all of the coding, making sure that the site runs smoothly, is always online and that the functionality is as expected. A website designer more focuses on the aesthetics of the website and the User Interface. You’re going to certainly want to employ the services of a developer should you be needing something bespoke such as an application to be running on your website. After all, the key to having a successful business website is differentiation.
Now there are two types of website developers. ‘Front End’ and ‘Back End’. Back End, as you might have guessed by the name, work in the background mainly using languages such as JavaScript and C# and they also spend a lot of time testing the website and fixing any bugs that appear during the testing stage. The front-end developer will be making changes through coding languages still, but these will be visible, such as creating a form for any customers to fill in. If a developer is a full-stack developer, that means that they are both front and back end and can work simultaneously across the multiple layers.
Website developers are also very clued in on how search engines algorithms work and thus have the best chance of getting you to the first page of Google. They will constantly be reviewing any major changes made by the Search Engines so that you can always stay one step ahead of the crowd. They will also create what’s called a ‘sitemap’ for your website so that search engines know the layout and structure of your website. If this sitemap isn’t in place, you’re not off to a great start at all and will struggle to receive any visitors via any of the major search engines.
This ongoing support is also a big reason why you should employ the services of a web developer for your business in Birmingham, it can get costly if you keep using different developers every year. Whereas, if you stay with the same developer, not only do you strengthen your working relationship, but they understand the in’s and outs of the project. Not only that but a website is never ‘done’. No matter how well it is set up initially, periodically you’re going to need to maintain the website and revisit the SEO, and if you hire a new developer each time, you’re going to be wasting a lot of time and money re-explaining the whole business to them.
If you know by now that your business will certainly benefit from the services of a web developer, the next step is making sure that you hire an experienced and skilled developer. If you hire a developer that performs a shoddy job, not only does this increase the downtime of your site but also damages your reputation as a business. For example, you could have visitors to your website reporting bugs to you that should’ve been found and dealt with already, or your website could go down due to a DDoS attack and leave customers frustrated who were wanting to purchase products/services at that moment in time.
There are also some questions you should have ready for your web developer to ensure that they’re professional, experienced and will be able to undertake the task at hand. These questions could include: –
• Can my website be hosted elsewhere if I’m not happy?
• How well can you get my website to perform in search engine results?
• Is my website going to be responsive?
• Is there 24/7 support in case of any unexpected downtime of the website?
• What browsers will website support?
• Finally – is the website you’re going to develop going to comply with GDPR?
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You must know the answer to these questions. For example, you don’t want to hire the services of a developer that can only develop a website that’s functional with Google Chrome. This leaves you with a huge audience that can’t access your website who use other browsers such as Firefox or Opera. You’re also going to want to ensure that they can GUARANTEE you that the website will be responsive. More people will be visiting your website by mobile than by desktop and nothing is more frustrating for the end-user than when they have to keep zooming in and out as your website hasn’t been designed for smartphones and tablets.
We have a skilled and experienced team in our offices that have years of web development experience having worked with clients up and down the country. No matter what industry you’re in, or the size of your business, they will be able to understand where you want to be and will guide you on your journey to get there.
They will also ensure that not only does your website look professional but also is perfectly functional and bug-free. And as we’ve touched upon already this will give a positive impression to any visitors and increase your conversion rate. If you want to increase your visibility and reach both across Birmingham and further afield, don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to have a chat to see how we can help you grow.