This guide covers what to check when choosing a developer for a business website or web app. If you are choosing a partner for a large custom software programme, the same checks apply, with more weight on team depth and references.
Established company or newcomer
Choosing an experienced company over a newcomer is usually the wiser decision. A newcomer may turn out to be good, but early on that is unproven, and rookie mistakes can be costly short-term or long-term. Your developer should have credible expertise, a proven history and good references. Experience is what lets a developer offer options, alternatives and sound practical advice, not just code.
Are they focused on you
Web development is technical, and it is easy for developers to lose track of what matters: your business and its goals. Good developers ask a lot of questions to get a full understanding of your requirements before offering a technical solution, and keep the feedback cycles going through the project.
What blows the budget
Quality work requires investment, so assess a developer on how well they manage the three things that blow budgets.
Requirements and scoping. Incorrect requirements lead to building things that are not needed, or software that does not do what you need. Correcting course later is expensive.
Team structure. Does the company have high or low staff turnover? Will the same people be on your project, or will they rove between projects? Make sure you understand the resourcing plan.
Feedback cycles. Nobody can picture what they need until they use it. Wireframes, prototypes and user testing along the way mean the end product matches what users find comfortable. Applicable's published bracket for a business website is NZ$4,000 to NZ$50,000+ plus GST, on a fixed scope with changes quoted before they are built.
Communication and responsiveness
Some developers go off the radar for long periods or abandon a project. Make sure the developer is easy to get hold of, quick to respond, good at explaining their process and committed to the outcomes you need.
A good test is how they handle your enquiry. Do they respond within a day or two, or leave you waiting a week? If you are not getting responses as a prospect, that does not bode well for the project.
Location
Working with a local Auckland company has real benefits: they understand your market, they are available for in-person meetings, which are often the easiest way to solve problems, and there is better accountability when you can knock on their door and you are under the same legal jurisdiction. Ask whether they use local developers or outsource the work entirely.
Security
Ask how the developer makes sure your build withstands hacking attempts. The only real way to know a piece of code is secure is an independent audit by a third party. Think of a locksmith testing your front door: if they get in, you have found something to fix.
Support and maintenance afterwards
You need to know what upkeep is required and who provides it. Will the developer provide developer-level support after delivery, or will you need to take that on? Get an estimate of post-launch costs before you commit, so you can compare quotes like for like.
A modern, common tech stack
A tech stack is the coding languages and libraries a developer uses. A modern, widely used stack means your software can be updated later by anyone. Applicable builds on Microsoft .NET and React, and on LAMP-based frameworks, which are still the most common technologies behind websites and web applications worldwide. Ask that the code and hosting accounts are in your name.
Big team or small team
The size of the developer does not need to match the size of your company. A larger team does not equal a better result and sometimes results in the opposite, because more non-coding staff get baked into higher fees. A small to mid-sized, tight-knit team usually gives the best balance between quality software and a good customer experience.
Questions to ask a web developer
- Can I speak to two clients with a project like mine?
- Will you scope and price the work before you build it, and how are changes handled?
- Who exactly will work on my project, and will they stay on it?
- Will I see wireframes or a prototype before the build starts?
- Are your developers local, offshore or both?
- Has your code been independently security audited?
- What will support and maintenance cost after launch?
- What tech stack will you use, and will the code and hosting be in my name?
Applicable answers all of these on its process page and at the scoping call.
Key takeaways
- Check proven history and references before anything else; an experienced developer offers practical advice, not just code.
- Budgets blow out through poor scoping, unstable teams and too few feedback cycles. Ask about all three.
- Test responsiveness at the enquiry stage; how they treat a prospect predicts how they treat a client.
- A local Auckland developer gives in-person meetings and the same legal jurisdiction. Ask whether the work is outsourced.
- Ask for independent security audits, post-launch support costs, a common tech stack and code in your name.