3 Reasons not to limit your web design teams…

... to those experienced  in your business sector

It happens to everyone – rejection. But in our industry there is one excuse for it that I really believe should be eliminated:

“We were looking for a candidate with more experience making websites for businesses in our industry.”

Now, I’m not saying that looking for someone with knowledge of your business sector is wrong- but that should not be your main deciding factor. Here are a few things you should think about instead.

1.  Your web design/development team should have experience in the functionality you are looking for.

Isn’t this what you said to not focus on? No.  Functionality spans multiple genres. For example: your business is ticketing. You sell limited edition tickets to shows and events. That means you want an e-commerce site, probably a highly visual one, and you want to set it up so interested parties can sign up for more news as it comes out. You might even want it to feel a bit exclusive. Oh, and you definitely want to be able to see it on your phone and other mobile devices

Bearing this in mind, need to  hire a team that has worked with e-commerce systems before, that has built responsive websites, and that maybe has experience with digital marketing.

2.  Your web designer/developer should have a versatile portfolio that shows an understanding of different business objectives.

Your should like the websites/apps in the portfolio. There is no point hiring a person just because they have experience whether inside industry or outside your industry. When it comes down to it, you need to choose a team understands your requirements, your taste and style,  and provides intuitive navigation and beautiful design. Choose a team that can fully represent your business not just from a technical standpoint, but also a visual one. They should also be willing to provide more than one round of design.

3.  Progress does not exist inside a vacuum.

It doesn’t make sense to only look at businesses in your own field when you are trying to stand out from your competition. Look at what other industries are doing and take the functionality that works for you. For example, if you are a municipality and you want to improve tourism, you SHOULD look at e-commerce sites, travel agencies, etc. to see what works best in the selling business. The principles are the same… don’t cripple yourself by forcing a limited scope.

It’s easy to be bogged down by the little things when choosing a web development or web design team, but no one should lose sight of the bigger picture. The best team will be someone who has the knowledge of and experience with the FUNCTIONALITY of what you want, someone who has a portfolio that shows understanding of businesses and their needs, and someone who utilizes global best practices. An integrated approach will make your website or app experience the best it can be.  Better websites = better business.