Website Development Agency Team Member Roles & Responsibilities
Project Managers
Project managers are the web development project leaders. These professionals keep everyone on-task.
They outline key goals and ensure all team members are hitting targets and deadlines.
This creates a streamlined process through which every member can perform their roles and responsibilities with ease and efficiency.
Companies that invest in proven project management strategies waste 28 times less money.
This increases cohesiveness and drives your business goals without sacrificing costs.
IT Specialists
IT specialists are also a key part of the web development team.
These specialists analyze, test and develop software for website development and design. They increase workflow and streamline operations through effective software implementation.
They test for problems and insecurities to ensure websites are built to handle all of the data and operations thrown at it.
Programmers
Programmers outline the process of design and development that goes into website building.
Programmers perform a number of tasks. These include:
- Troubleshooting
- Code writing
- Designing
- Testing
- Debugging
- And more.
These initiatives ensure that the computer can essentially “understand” the website and all of its operations.
Frontend Developers
Frontend developers specialize in writing code in HTML and CSS. The code they write will be seen by your website visitors.
Frontend developers work alongside the backend developers.
Backend Web Developers
Backend developers work in .NET, PHP opensource framework, or JAVA. They write code and connects the frontend to the database.
Security Specialists
Security specialists are vital in protecting your website, your data and your consumers from malicious attack.
These specialists infuse key integrations to help protect your destination. These include:
- Cybersecurity best practices
- Data protection plans
- Data recovery software
- And more.
There are more than 230,000 malware attacks launched each day.
Therefore, you need to make sure your data is protected and secure.
App Developers
The best web development companies also employ app developers to create mobile applications that extend your brand identity.
More than 52 percent of all online traffic comes from mobile devices.
More consumers are turning to their smartphone devices to complete transactions and interact with brands. Therefore, your business needs an effective presence on the platform.
UX & UI Designers
User experience and user interface designers make sure that your platform looks and feels the part. It needs to engage and interact with users.
It needs to answer questions and lead them on a journey.
These design specialists know what integrations and software implementations to infuse into your design to lead users down a specific path that leads to the desired action.
QA Testers
Quality assurance (QA) professionals test the functionality of the site. They also make sure that the front-end site matches the mockups presented by the designer. QA-ers test site functionality in various browser versions, such as Chrome and Safari.
If your site is custom, there will always be bugs. The QA person’s job is to locate them, report them to the developers, and test them again once they are fixed.
System Administrator
A system administrator sets up the site on the server and ensures all of the settings are correct.
Web Design Team Members
In addition to web development, there needs to be a process of web design to ensure your website looks the part.
Team members that make up the web design part of things include:
- Digital strategists
- SEO specialists
- Information architects
- User interface designers
- And more!
How Much Does It Cost To Develop A Professional Website?
Web development is a pricey venture that your brand needs to create a specific budget for.
Costs involved with building a website include:
- Web design.
- Web development.
- Maintenance & support.
These are just the basics. But each brings to the table a host of costs that will quickly add up.
A web development company’s pricing structure also depends on factors such as:
- Using a dedicated web development agency
-
- Incorporating a pre-made website template.
- And more!.
The cost of a professional website varies based on your brand's needs.
For example, a simple informational site will be easier to produce than a complicated eCommerce platform or in-depth service booking interface.
However, there are some general design and development costs you can expect when building a custom site.
- Custom small business web designs can cost anywhere from $10,000 and up.
- Medium-sized business websites can initially cost $25,000 and up.
- Enterprise web design and eCommerce websites can cost anywhere from $40,000 and up.
- Domains can cost a little as $10 or as high as a few thousand dollars. This depends on whether or not someone owns it and where you purchase it from. The good news? Web design firms can help!
- Expect to pay at least a few hundred dollars each year for hosting -- potentially much more if you want to host your site on a server with lots of features, functionalities and better management.
In addition to these costs, you'll have routine maintenance and management costs. You will also likely pay for upgrades and redesigns.
However, when you partner with an agency, you'll be able to create a long-term professional relationship that will take care of all your needs.
Website Development Companies
How To Select The Best Web Development Company For Your Business Goals
Determine The Services You Need
Before you can decide what web development agency to work with, you need to know what you want out of this partnership.
Decide what web development services you need. These include:
- Desktop web development
- Responsive design
- App development
- eCommerce development
- And more.
From here, you then have to look into your prospective agencies and decide if they have the experience that matches what you need.
Examine Their Professional Portfolio
The next step in choosing the right web development agency is examining their portfolio.
You need to understand what kind of experience they have. And you need to know whether or not it matches what you’re looking for.
Look into their previous projects. Learn how they excel and where their services exceed the expected.
Their past successes and failures can give you a better idea as to how they will tackle your project and achieve results.
What CMS Do You Need To Use
Another key ingredient to the web development mix is the content management system (CMS). Certain web builders and CMS platform provide different pros and cons.
The different CMS platforms include:
- Wordpress
- Sitecore
- Magento
- Ruby on Rails
- And more.
What works best for your brand is based on:
- Your goals
- CMS features
- Customization opportunities
- Cost
- And more.
Determine A Project Timeline
Web development projects take time. But your brand doesn’t have all the time in the world to get a website up and running.
You’re on a deadline. Therefore, it’s important that you schedule out a timeline that you and your agency partner are comfortable with.
This keeps both teams accountable and allows for more transparency and efficiency.
Determine Your Budget & Their Potential ROI
The last thing to consider when choosing a top web development agency is budget.
You need to thoroughly outline how much you’re willing to pay and what your budget is to ensure you and your agency can work together.
Top development firms will work with your budget. But you also need to consider the varying costs involved with web development and plan accordingly.
When you do nail down a budget, you’ll realize just how many benefits a truly exceptional website can bring you.
Top ROI benefits for great web development work include:
- Increased web traffic
- Higher conversions
- Greater CTRs
- Boosted brand awareness
- More sales
- And more!
Top 5 Qualities Of The Best Web Developers
Top Web Developers Are Proficient In Multiple Coding Languages
Websites are built on code. That’s why top web development agencies employ programmers to build these websites built on common, technical languages.
Some of the most common coding languages include:
- HTML
- CSS
- Javascript
- PHP
- Git
- And more.
The best web developers have a deep understanding and proficiency in all of the most common and latest coding languages.
This means that they can create a website with ease that is built on a solid and structured foundation.
The Best Web Development Companies Protect And Store Vital Data
Your data is important — whether that’s business data, consumer data or technical development data.
Unfortunately, that data is at risk each and every day.
Hackers attack consumers, businesses and corporate entities every 39 seconds.
That puts your data right on the frontlines of attack. But the best development companies plan ahead for this.
They know that data breaches and cyber attacks will only continue to rise. So they integrate key security features to keep this data safe.
Web Design Companies Also Build Engaging Mobile Apps
Mobile apps will generate $189 billion in revenue by 2020.
That’s a blossoming market for brands and businesses alike looking to increase profits and establish themselves as an industry leader.
As a result, the best web development companies also include application development into their services so that they can provide your brand with a full-circle and profitable identity.
Reputable Website Development Companies Focus On User Experience Design & Development
40% of users will stop engaging with a website — and a brand at large — if their website is unattractive and unorganized.
Consumers want a streamlined experience. They want to be led on a journey and they don’t want to have to do any work to get there.
Top web development companies create websites with the user in mind.
They infuse key integrations like chatbots, simple navbars and more that create an online experience that is engaging and intuitive.
Top-Performing Web Developers Provide Post-Launch Support & Fix Bugs
Ongoing site maintenance and client support to cover small site changes and updates are essential in an evolving technical world.
You may discover you need additional design elements, calls to action or functionalities in order to improve user experience and increase conversions.
Maybe there is a technical glitch with your site that is preventing optimal use. Or perhaps you'll want to scale your site in conjunction with your business plan.
These leading website design agencies offer these services as well as analytics setup, management, web hosting management, and reporting.
5 Questions To Ask A Web Design Company Before Hiring Them
1. Who Will Be Working On Our Website & What Is Their Experience?
It’s important that you take the time to learn about the web development team working on your project.
Learn about their past experience, their past successes and their abilities to achieve results.
You should also ask about the makeup of your team. It should include:
- Programmers
- Testers
- Developers
- Designers
- And more.
2. How Does Your Agency Discover Emerging Technologies & The Latest Trends?
Trends in the digital space are constantly changing. New technologies are also emerging, creating a more innovative space full of creativity and interactivity.
Ask your potential web development partner how they plan ahead for changes. Learn how they will create your website for prime adaptability and evolution.
Ask what tools they use to stay on top of the competitive market and what insights they can draw from current predictions.
This ensures your website is equipped to handle whatever the world throws at it.
3. Who Is Our Point Of Contact & How Often Can We Expect Meetings and Updates?
Every company should have a key point of contact that your team can interact with. This will usually be the project manager or team leader.
You want to know right from the start who this is to ensure fluid communication throughout the project.
28% of people cite poor communication as the number one cause of failed project delivery.
Make sure both teams are communicating to ensure project success. This could include:
- Regular meetings
- Email updates
- Frequent calls
- And more.
4. What Is Your Pricing Structure – And Are There Any Additional Fees?
Make sure you ask about budget and costs when it’s time to sign on a web development company.
You need to make sure these costs are within your budget, and you can get the deliverables you’re looking for with what money you have to offer.
Ask how they price their services and if anything costs extra.
You don’t want to be blindsided at the end of a project by outlandish fees and costs you weren’t expecting.
5. How Will You Measure Results & How Often Will You Report On Them?
The whole point of creating a website is to drive some type of initiative or objective.
Some of the popular goals outlined by clients include increased:
- Website traffic
- Conversions
- Leads
- Sales
- Brand awareness
- CTRs
- And more.
Make sure you have your goals outlined so your agency partner can plan accordingly.
Similarly, you want to know about the tools and resources made available to these development firms. This will allow them to track your project and its results throughout the process.
This gives you an idea as to how the website is performing and if any tweaks need to be made for increased success.
5 Value Adds From Top Website Development Agencies That Foster Business Growth
1. Provide Effective Web Hosting
The best web development agencies provide efficient web hosting capabilities to their clients. This streamlines the build process and allows for easy design and development that saves your company money, time and worry.
There are a number of web hosting platforms out there. Some of them include:
- Bluehost
- HostGator
- SiteGround
- Hostinger
- And more.
Your potential web development partner will have an expert understanding of how these web hosting platforms work and can connect you with one that is easily customizable for your brand and your long-term needs.
2. Continuously Test For Bugs & Site Performance
A website must adapt and evolve — just like all technology.
You can’t create a website and call it a day. And your web development partner won’t let that happen.
They’ll continue to provide support, maintenance and testing before, during and after launch.
This is to ensure that all software integrations, features, functionalities and technologies are running smoothly and working as they’re supposed to.
These web developers have access to top testing, management and monitoring tools so they can continuously check on:
- Site speed
- SEO ranking
- Software integrations
- Security updates
- And more.
3. Ensure Cybersecurity Safety
The average cost of a data breach is $350 million.
And most businesses don’t have that kind of money to spend after a breach hits heir data.
That’s why top development agencies implement cybersecurity protections as a precaution. The best defense is a good offense at the end of the day.
This saves your business money in the long run. It also increases your credibility and authority.
A cyberattack can have a major, negative impact on your brand reputation. This encourages consumers to look elsewhere, which costs your brand even more in the long run.
But you don’t have to have those worries when working with these safety-oriented agencies.
4. Builds A User-Friendly Platform
User experience is how a user experiences a given design — like a website.
The point of UX design is to create a seamless, engaging experience for the user.
Therefore, your web development agency needs to ensure that throughout the development process, they’re infusing key features, functionalities and software to ensure consumers are led on a compelling journey.
5. Web Design Agencies Improve Search Engine Optimization & Website Rankings
Web design agencies improve SEO rankings on a technical level. Not all SEO is about content, after all.
The best web development firms make technical edits and perform essential test to ensure that your website runs at peak efficiency, gaining the attention of search engines like Google.
These optimizations include:
- Minimizing image file size without any noticeable differences to the naked eye
- Adding H1 and H2 tags
- Increasing site speed
- Adding keyword-heavy alt tags
- And more!
How Do The Best Website Developers Charge Clients For Their Work?
Hourly
There are a number of ways an agency working on your website can charge for their services.
One way is hourly. This means that an agency will take on your project and charge your company for every hour they work.
This allows them to dedicated certain parts of the day to your project. And you can see the breakdown at the end of the day.
Results-Based
Another way the best web development firms charge for their services is based on the goals they hit and the results they achieve.
This means that they only get paid when they accomplish a task. This could be an increase in:
- Web traffic
- Conversions
- Brand visibility
- Interaction
- Sales
- And more!
Flat Fee
Web development agencies that charge a flat fee are often optimal for many brands.
That’s because the price is set in stone and won’t fluctuate. It also includes all the necessary services and systems that brand’s are looking for.
Maintenance
Maintenance fees are also common for top web development firms. That’s because once a website goes live, it isn’t done.
There are a number of threats to your data and your site. There are always new technologies emerging and design trends shifting.
Therefore, your website needs continued support to ensure it’s running at peak efficiency.
Maintenance includes:
- Bug fixing
- Software updates
- Security Integrations
- Testing
- And more.
The Best Web Design Platforms For Different Types Of Sites
Informational
Informational websites act as a resource for a visitor, informing them about companies and services without necessitating a purchase or specific action.
Wordpress is, without a doubt, the most common and reliable platform for creating an informational website. The company will also help you purchase a custom URL and features templates for every price range and function.
Meanwhile, Drupal boasts an open source content management system, making it an affordable and flexible option for companies that don’t want to be tied to one web development agency forever. They’ve powered a number of informational websites, including WhiteHouse.gov.
The University of Oxford originally looked to Drupal to simply “refresh” their website design.
However, upon learning about the many features and benefits of the latest Drupal 7 Platform, did a larger overhaul on their digital presence.
Their academic site now features more content from the university, allowing them to employ content marketing to capture potential students.
E-Commerce
E-commerce websites allow businesses to sell products and goods online.
Global e-commerce sales are expected to reach $4.5 trillion by 2021, meaning a site that supports simple search and seamless checkout is worth your while.
If you have a small inventory, Shopify is the perfect platform to facilitate online sales.
However, if you have a larger e-commerce site, the e-commerce mega power platform Magento offers plenty of customization features that can help brands tailor the shopping experience to both visitors and brand standards.
CRM management company Salesforce also has an e-commerce platform that focuses on community building, making an online shopping experience that’s engaging for users.
If you already utilize one of Salesforce’s many other platforms, integrating their social e-commerce is a great idea.
UK-based retailer OSPREY LONDON recently switched to Magento Commerce Cloud in hopes of doubling online sales.
Instead, they saw a 300% increase in e-commerce revenue and now tout a whopping $16.8 million in overall sales.
Blog & Magazine
Blogs and magazines could be standalone sites (like The New Yorker) or add-ons to an informational or e-commerce sites (like Warby Parker).
But they all exist for one reason -- to entertain and inform visitors through content.
With the ever-increasing prevalence of content marketing, a focus on blog, magazine and magazine websites is growing.
We already know that WordPress is a common website platform, but their host of features (such as Google Analytics support and monetization through ads) make it worth mentioning twice.
WordPress can integrate into your existing site to help you implement content marketing without a total redesign.
A number of well-known brands use WordPress to fuel their content -- including the entertainment magazine Variety.
Their customized design doesn’t just feature articles -- it also has a credits database and prominent search. Its focus on digital has paid off, too -- the publication has consistently grown since 2012.
Social Media
While Facebook, Instagram and a handful of other websites dominate the social networking industry, there are plenty of other community-building websites that engage visitors and cultivate dialogue without an app or a character limit.
Due to its flexibility, Drupal is an excellent web design platform to enlist if you’re hoping to create a more interactive website design.
However, if you have a specific vision or particular web design features that you’d like to include, the Symfony open source framework can create the social media site of your dreams.
In fact, Laravel, Drupal, and Magento (along with others) all utilize aspects of Symfony, further boosting its credibility.
Facebook Instant Articles used Symfony components CssSelector and Yaml to create a separate interactive platform that allows companies to directly publish content to Facebook.
This new subset of the social media site has capture brands such as Rodale Inc. and Gray Television, allowing them to grow readership through automated networking.
Custom
Have a specific vision for your web design? A custom website design is probably for you.
Although there are plenty of platforms that can help you create your dream web design, Laravel is one of the best.
The platform hosts several systems that feature tons of integrations (Sublime and Javascript, for starters), plus tutorial videos to help developers use the open source framework to create custom sites.
The catch? You’ll need someone who understands code.
The modern, responsive website design for the movie The Disaster Artist used Laravel to design a creative website that adds an air of sophistication to the true story of a film that lacks it: The Room.
The result was a site that reflects the award-winning film through an infinite scroll, compelling techno music, and creative animations.
Your website is a major part of your overall brand identity. It’s how your audience interacts with you.
It is also how the world and the market as a whole views your business.
You need to work with a web developer that innately understands your business and can integrate key functionalities for efficient and streamlined operations.
Find more top web development firms in the agency listings table at the top of the page.
