Website design and development is a multidisciplinary field. On the other end, a website is your brand’s presence online. The public expects a lot from your website. That’s why choosing just any digital marketing agency Philippines to develop or redesign your website is a no-no. The right website redesign team is what you need. Here is a guide, not a rule, of should be working on the project.
1) Project manager
The success of the team depends on the project manager. The project manager’s responsibility is not just the site, but also includes overseeing the work of the individual members, establishing communications and conducting follow-throughs. Preferably, the project manager must have a technical background. Since he or she represents the team, the project manager must know how to speak intelligently. Gathering requirements of the site redesign and conveying the ideas to the rest of the team is one of the most important tasks of the project manager.
2) Project sponsor
In the majority of the web design in the Philippines projects, the project sponsor is the client herself or himself. The sponsor is responsible for:
a) providing an overall strategic purpose for the web redesign project,
b) approving work plans and schedules,
c) approving and allocating budget and
d) providing resources to make the project more successful.
The project sponsor also acts as a liaison to the rest of the sponsoring company.
3) Webmaster
The webmaster works closely with both the project manager and client in determining site content and layout. Webmasters should have a working knowledge about the technical aspect including the operating systems, database engines and server applications. He or she may be responsible for graphic designs. In case the team includes a graphic designer, the webmaster serves as a liaison to the team.
4) Web designer
The graphic designer is responsible for all the graphical needs of the website to be redesigned. In creating images and other graphics, the designer should be proficient with the most effective multimedia tools including industry standards Photoshop and Illustrator. While HTML knowledge and experience is a plus, the graphic designer of choice must be adept in layout and composition as well as color theory.
5) Web developer
The web developer is also called the programmer. He or she builds the website’s functionalities including client-side and server-side scripting. The web developer also coordinates with the web designer regarding building HTML/CSS page templates. In some instances, he or she creates them by himself or herself.
6) Systems administrator
The system administrator is a key in making the redesigned website successful. Any website should operate in highly secured and stable environment. Some of the responsibilities of the systems administrator are to build, maintain and secure the web, application and database servers. Most of the time, the administration is outsourced to a third party hosting provider.
As the web design and development process becomes more sophisticated, new roles are created. These are:
- Information architect – The architect gathers business, content and user requirements. The information architect works closely with the project manager, project sponsor, web master and designers.
- User experience (UX) designer – The UX designer refers to the requirements in developing wireframes and flowcharts of interactions and journeys.
- User interface (UI) designer – The UX and UI designer can be the same person. His or her main concern is the overall visual presentation of the site. The UI designer works closely with the graphic designer.
- Content specialist – The web content specialist’s responsibility is to organize, prepare and load the website with contents written from scratch or provided by the project sponsor. Aside from having copywriting and editing skills, preferably, the content specialist must have an HTML knowledge and experience.
- Quality assurance (QA) tester – The QA tester ensures that the website is functioning as intended. He or she prepares a series of tests to determine the site’s usability and navigability. The tester collects feedbacks including bugs and other defects and then, relay them to the designers and developers. The processes are repeated until the site becomes fully functional and free from bugs.
The number of people you need for your web redesign depends on the complexity of the tasks, and of course, the timeline and budget. Absolutely, this can be done in-house, but if it is a one-off project that requires maintenance and hosting, you might as well outsource.
There are many independent contractors online. The main drawback, however, is getting all of them in one place especially when the individuals are working on their respective virtual offices. READ: Different times zones!
If you want a more personal interaction between you (as the project sponsor) and the rest of the redesign team, a contingency is to hire a website development provider. Typically, digital marketers provide holistic solutions such as web development, app development, and even web optimization. Everything’s in-house!
So, how do you identify talent and fit?
Before reaching out to any company, it must be clear to you what you are really looking for a web redesign team. Some things that you must value are:
Great portfolio
An informative portfolio is a great portfolio. Look for sample works or case studies. Through browsing them, you can judge how diverse the client relationships and experience of the firm.
Industry presence
Reputation counts. Some credentials that are worth discovering is how other firms within the same industry regards the company. If it develops multi-awarded websites, it stands to reason how professional and credible the firm is.
After establishing the credibility of the firm, determine if it has a good fit with your company culture.
Professionalism
Can the company reliably schedule? Did it miss the scheduled meeting or call without giving notice ahead of time? If the firm fails at this basic act of professionalism, move on to the next one.
Collaboration
Take note of the things that the company representative is asking you. For instance, should we provide you with progress reports? If the company asks you this, forget it. For one, progress reports are a must hence they should not even ask whether you need them or not.
Remember great people can only do greater things when they are together. When it is time to redesign your website, team up with the great people. Web design and development is a collaborative discipline as it should be.
Image credits: TheNextWeb.com | WSOaOnline.com
