What web developers do – and why you really, really need one

With so many DIY website tools available, business owners often ask us: why do I need a web developer? It’s easy to point to successful businesses and blogs that are built and run on free software. However, there are 3 important questions to ask yourself:

1. Do I want to be in control of my website?
DIY sites come with limited options and implementing a new feature – even one that seems straightforward, such as comment captchas – can take hours or days if you don’t know what you’re doing, may cost you money or be impossible depending on the service. ‘One-click’ website development services are often buggy and harder to operate than the advertising suggests.

2. Do I want to learn about programming?
Do you want to learn about HTML and CSS? Do you want to be the person who is up at 2am dealing with a DDoS attack or a hack attempt? Do you want to be the one your customers call when they can’t check out on iPhone but it’s OK on their PC?

3. Is this the most valuable way for me to spend my time?
Even if you’re interested in IT – heck, even if you’re an IT professional – you may decide that growing your business means focussing on other priorities.

A better website leads to more sales

One of the top reasons that business owners reach out to our Hampshire-based website development team is that they want to sell more. They may talk about SEO, social media responses or even just wanting an updated online presence but fundamentally it comes down to this: more sales.

Industry giants such as Amazon and Google know that improving your website can translate immediately into more sales. With the huge volumes of traffic they deal with, they’re willing to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to improve their sales rate by 0.001%. For small and medium sized businesses, the investment is lower (often as little as a few hundred pounds) and the return on investment is typically high.

As an example, here are 5 ways a website development team might improve your website and boost sales:

1. Ensure your site works on platforms you didn’t even know existed so customers can reach it. What does your website look like on an iPhone 3? A PC running Windows XP?
2. Smooth the check out process. DIY sites often have a cumbersome check out process, and each step can lose you customers.
3. Improve your Google search ranking. Google likes well-built websites so improving your site can dramatically improve your page rank.
4. Link products and offers in a way that works for your business. Get away from the default option and choose the options that make sense for you.
5. Test and check your site to find out where customers are leaving – and why they’re staying.

There are many more improvements and optimisations that can be made, some of which can be hard to quantify. A website built by professional web developers typically looks more trustworthy and reliable, which is critically important when you’re competing with big brands. Even if you’re a local service, for example a plumber based in Hampshire, then professional website development can make your site much easier to find, ensuring that potential customers know you exist.

How about my logo? SEO? Facebook?

A web developer focuses on the behind-the-scenes programming that brings the site to life, often working with a web designer who creates the template and graphics. A web designer will typically have strong graphic design skills and will probably be able to make you a cool logo. A web developer is more likely to do you a doodle on the back of a beer mat inspired by Game of Thrones.

At boxChilli, our team covers both skill sets as well as providing social media support, marketing services and more, so yes, you can ask our website development team to make you a logo – or an animated video or update your blog. We’re a multi-talented bunch, and we’d love to work with you.

Interested in our web design Hampshire teams, get in touch with our specialists today!

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