Are you looking for a Business Catalyst developer?
As a tradie, you have to be very careful about the kind of Business Catalyst professional you pick for your website project. Firstly, you will have to stick to a limited budget while making your choice and secondly, any misstep in selection can mean a website that doesn’t deliver the results you are looking for.
Choosing the right developer with specialist experience on the Business Catalyst system is difficult and filled with pitfalls, but not if you ask a developer these ten questions:
- What is your Web Development Experience?
- How long have you been working with Adobe ®Catalyst Developer?
- Can you take me through the Projects you have Handled Recently?
- How do you Approach Development of a Website Using Adobe® Business Catalyst?
- Have you Understood my Project Brief
- What Features do you Think My Website Should Have to Stand out From the Crowd?
- Why Should I hire you and not somebody else?
- How Long Will you Take to Complete My Project?
- How much will the Development Cost?
- How will you keep me in the Loop?
- Will you Future Proof my Site?
Yes, you are looking for a person who is an experienced hand at using Business Catalyst, but the perfect developer for you needs is
somebody who has diverse web development experience.
The answer to this question will tell you whether the developer has a holistic understanding of web development; you will also know whether your developer has the technical proficiency needed to handle your project with the expertise it deserves.
Now you get into the heart of the matter.
You need to ask a pointed question about the developer’s use of this Adobe system. The idea is to make sure you only work with somebody who’s an old hand at using Adobe® Business Catalyst. The person should have a solid understanding of the Business Catalyst framework and the value it brings to the table. The answer to this question will tell you whether the developer can deliver the returns on investment you are looking for.
Ask the developer to brief you about the projects he/she has worked on recently. Take a look at the websites they’ve designed using Business Catalyst. Ask them to explain the features, elements and strengths of every website and why these were added.
There is a case where developers might be bound by a non-disclosure agreement that forbids them from talking about some of the best work they’ve done; in such cases tell developers it’s ok if they don’t name their projects, but just give a general outline of the project and how they pushed the development envelope on these projects.
From an overview to details; you now need to get a clear idea of how the developers approach website development with the use of Adobe® Business Catalyst. The developer needs to take you through the development process right from the first stage to the last. What you need to look out for is the comprehensiveness of the process. Hire a developer who can take your process through all the stages of development.
Explain the project brief to the developer and ask a very clear and direct question, – “Have you understood my project brief?”
The answers will usually be:
• Yes, I have and I will get started on working out a quote right away.
• Yes, I have, but I have a few questions.
• Yes, I have and I also have a few suggestions to make it better.
• No, I haven’t, but if you answer a few questions, I can probably understand it better.
Beware of developers who give you the first answer; they are typically unconcerned whether they’ve understood your project; all they want is another project to work on. #2 and #3 are the answers you need to look out for. These developers have a genuine interest in your project and want to understand it better. As far as #4 is concerned, it’s an honest answer, but iffy (in case you’ve presented a really detailed project brief and the developer has still not understood it); it’s best you avoid such developers.
Your tradies website will be a window into your business to the outside world. Your target audience will go through the information on your site in order to decide whether they can use your services. If your site doesn’t deliver an impressive and satisfying UX, they might just choose your competitor over you. So, it’s imperative that you ask a Business Catalyst developer about the kind of features he can implement on the site and which can help improve website conversions. The answer will also give you an idea whether the developer can optimize the use of this all-in-one business website solution for client benefit.
Adobe® Business Catalyst helps deliver a site that is creative, SEO friendly, packed with features (site search engine, photo galleries, blog integration and many more), built-in CRM and others. Make sure that the developer promises to implement all these features on your site.
Good developers with specialist experience in a particular technology like Adobe® Business Catalyst will not shortchange themselves. They will lay it out in very clear terms the kind of results they can bring to the table, the difference between them and other developers on the market, and why it makes really good business sense to hire their services. Hear them out, separate the posturing from reality and only then zero in on a team of developers you can do business with.
The major benefit of Adobe® Business Catalyst is that an expert developer can get a powerful website up and running quickly. But that doesn’t mean the website can be delivered on an immediate basis. Your web development project has to be taken through a development life cycle irrespective of the fact that the Business Catalyst framework makes website development quick and convenient.
So, pick a developer who promises a fast project turnaround but beware of somebody who promises a website in double quick time. Business Catalyst is a great technology but it doesn’t help a developer perform magic tricks. So, if a developer promises a turnaround that sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
This is the crowing question, isn’t it? You want a website built with one of the most advanced hosted solutions available on the market, but you need to be able to afford it.
The answer to this question will tell you whether you can hire a Business Catalyst developer for your project. You’ll need to pick a developer who can work within the budget you’ve set aside for the project.
There might be a case where a developer, who you believe is a perfect choice for your project, quotes a figure that is more than your budget; but if you think the resultant ROI from your website will be able to make up for these increased costs, it will still make sense to pick that developer.
But, at the end of the day, it is your choice.
Collaboration between the client and developers is the key to effective web development. You need to be kept in the loop at all times to know whether the project is being developed as per your expectations and is in line with your requirements. You need to come up with a well-entrenched, comfortable mechanism for communication that helps you keep track of what is going on with your project at all times.
The demands of the future will be different from the needs of the present. The question is – Will your developer be able to future proof your site to ensure it stays the course in the future (keeps delivering returns)? This is the question you must ask the developer. Every developer worth his salt creates a site that meets the client’s current, as well as, future needs.
Asking these ten questions will help you zero in on Business Catalyst developers who can perfectly meet your needs and requirements.
