How do I find reliable web dev companies? [modified]
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In my marketing consultation work it's not unusual to speak with small or startup businesses who don't yet have a web site (or need the one they have pretty much scrapped and rewritten so that it actually accomplishes something). From a business perspective these needs are often quite simple, frequently just a handful of pages like home, products/services, about us and contact. These days it seems like everyone and their kid sister is a web developer, and there are tons of companies who are based in the U.S. (my point being that currency conversion is not the reason for the pricing) who routinely do such simple sites for around $500 - $1000. I have zero desire to get into this business. What I would prefer is to build a relationship with a couple of solid, ethical, dependable web dev firms so that I can sit with my clients, determine their business needs, and then put them together with one of these companies. Don't want a cut of the money, just want my clients taken care of reliably. In my quest to make life easy for my clients, I also put my own reputation on the line. If I tell them, "You need x,y and z, call my friends at This Company and they'll take care of you for a price that's in your budget," then I'll be held accountable by the client for the experience they have with the developers. And shocking as it may be to you, a very large percentage of professed web dev companies are flaky as hell. Some of the most common complaints are that they don't deliver in a timely manner, don't return phone calls, too many passes to get it right, more interested in evangalizing their favorite technologies / toys than serving the customer, etc. Not the kind of people I want tied to my company's reputation. That said, when looking for companies to refer, I have no idea how to do the weeding. About all I know is that I don't want to work with devs who have a full time job and do this on the side, as it simply provides too many opportunities for reliability problems. I also want to work with companies in the U.S. just to keep communication as simple as possible. Beyond that, no clue. Of course, I could ask for references, but what kind of idiot would give me references who wouldn't speak in glowing terms? What criteria would you use to find the solid, dependable companies amidst a standing room only crowd of amateurs, flakes and even the occasional disreputable creature? I pride myself on knowing when to say "I don't know," and this is certainly one of those times.
Christop
Yep, it's a crapshoot. You try out some companies and hopefully one of them fits your needs. Might want to explain to your customer that you are exploring new partners and if there is ANY problem whatsoever they are to let you know immediately. This might offset any bad feelings if any issues arrise. You can attempt to skew your odds by talking to some of your peers to see what companies have worked out for them in the past. And, you're right about references. No one in their right mind is going to list a reference that is not going to give them a glowing recommendation. Or, you could try us: http://www.rchltd.com
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In my marketing consultation work it's not unusual to speak with small or startup businesses who don't yet have a web site (or need the one they have pretty much scrapped and rewritten so that it actually accomplishes something). From a business perspective these needs are often quite simple, frequently just a handful of pages like home, products/services, about us and contact. These days it seems like everyone and their kid sister is a web developer, and there are tons of companies who are based in the U.S. (my point being that currency conversion is not the reason for the pricing) who routinely do such simple sites for around $500 - $1000. I have zero desire to get into this business. What I would prefer is to build a relationship with a couple of solid, ethical, dependable web dev firms so that I can sit with my clients, determine their business needs, and then put them together with one of these companies. Don't want a cut of the money, just want my clients taken care of reliably. In my quest to make life easy for my clients, I also put my own reputation on the line. If I tell them, "You need x,y and z, call my friends at This Company and they'll take care of you for a price that's in your budget," then I'll be held accountable by the client for the experience they have with the developers. And shocking as it may be to you, a very large percentage of professed web dev companies are flaky as hell. Some of the most common complaints are that they don't deliver in a timely manner, don't return phone calls, too many passes to get it right, more interested in evangalizing their favorite technologies / toys than serving the customer, etc. Not the kind of people I want tied to my company's reputation. That said, when looking for companies to refer, I have no idea how to do the weeding. About all I know is that I don't want to work with devs who have a full time job and do this on the side, as it simply provides too many opportunities for reliability problems. I also want to work with companies in the U.S. just to keep communication as simple as possible. Beyond that, no clue. Of course, I could ask for references, but what kind of idiot would give me references who wouldn't speak in glowing terms? What criteria would you use to find the solid, dependable companies amidst a standing room only crowd of amateurs, flakes and even the occasional disreputable creature? I pride myself on knowing when to say "I don't know," and this is certainly one of those times.
Christop