I have recently spent time with prospective clients explaining the ‘new vision’ of just what a web developer has to be in order to support the successful build and long term deployment of a web site. The question you should be asking your prospective web developer is; “Show me a web site that has been proven to sell product.” Most questions that I field from clients these days revolve around articles and content with specific reference to the search engine optimisation associated with that.
Essentially the vision of a webmaster as a quiet genius who is master of code and colour wheels is old ancient school. A successful web site depends on a horde of skills coming to the fore and Paul Pruneau from Teamworks Communications has encapsulated exactly what I tell people in a succinct manner in his post entitled 7 Things Your Website Developer Won’t Tell You.
Actually it is Paul’s point number 6 that hits the nail on the head where Paul says:
6. Stop thinking about the website. Start developing a relationship.
Who should you turn to to address all of this on your journey to your new web site? And once you arrive, who will ensure that the continual content creation efforts required for online success today will be effective, efficient and engaging to deliver the results your looking for?
The list of potential providers could include:
- Web Developer
- Branding, Positioning & Messaging Strategist
- Content Writer | Editor
- Marketing Communications Expert
- Social and New Media Platform Counselor
- Online Marketing Consultant
- Lead Generation Producer | Manager
- Ongoing Content Creation & Content Marketing Partner
- Graphic Designer
- All of the above
Consider the depth and or limitations of just a web developer or any one of these single resources. The wrong choice can have many unforeseen consequences on how long it will take and how much your website will actually cost.
Rather than trying to corral all of these vertical providers with their own agendas and siloed perspectives, turning to someone with a proven track record of integrating each of these disciplines to achieve the outcome sought by a customer might be a better path to take.
We have certainly moved on from the set and forget brochure type web sites of a couple of years ago.
Think about it this way: If you are not spending more time on your OWN web site than the time you spend on Social Media then you are spending more time making the social media site owners richer and yourself poorer.
Try this: Spend time promoting your web site and business away from social media – try listing in quality directories or classifieds or submitting well crafted press releases or taking part in conversations on web sites.
Bonus Tip: When I want to tell people about something that moves me (such as Paul’s 7 Things Your Website Developer Won’t Tell You) my first thought is to publish that on MyPE – knowing full well that I want my unique content to be featured on a space that I own first and only then on the social media sites and aggregators that pick up content from MyPE.
Alan Straton
Latest posts by Alan Straton (see all)
- SAFRA Marks 15 Years and Nearly 500,000 Moving Quotes - 19 October 2026
- SAFRA Unveils Exciting Website Upgrade for Easier Moving Quotes - 19 October 2026
- SAFRA Launches Powerful New Furniture Volume Calculator - 19 October 2026
- What Parents Need to Know about Polio - 19 October 2026
- Rodent Checks Should Include the Parked Car, Says Gqeberha Pest Control Operator - 19 October 2026
