In every growing business there comes a point where you are ready to build a new website. When you get to that point inevitably the very next questions is, "Who should I hire to Build my website".
There are options to try to save a buck and build it on your own with a drag and drop template builder promising a website within a few click and hours as well as the classic Cheap-Websites-R-Us type sites having a rent to never own solution. (we're serious, there are lots of companies that will build you a cheap website and charge you monthly for as long as your business should live and you will never, ever, ever, ever own it..even after years and many thousands of dollars spent!) But I digress, one thing is for sure not all websites are created equal and when it comes to building them it really comes back to the website development team who's behind the solution, which is your website. Notice I said team, not a guy you pay 200 dollars to and a case of nati-lite.
If you decide to build your website professionally, it takes a team to get the job done. Why, because each person has a specialty. Think of it this way, if you go to get a home built- you'd typically hire a plumber, electrician, foreman and whatever other specialty roles you need. While one person could try to You-tube training rig it together..you wouldn't have the same quality as if you hired someone who specializes in one specific area.
So when you decide to hire an agency to build a website pages for your business each company will have its own team which may include even more roles (which could include splitting these roles between multiple people); however, these five jobs are the typically the minimum required to achieve a cohesive, functional, and purposeful website.
The 5 Roles needed to build a professional, functional and purposeful website
The Marketing Strategist - aka the person who turns goals into reality
The marketing strategist helps the client with big-picture planning and long-term measurement. They help translate the client's goals into marketing objectives and strategies to increase engagement and convert leads. Once they understand the client’s goals, they will work to reach them by incorporating social media, advertising, and email campaigns into the marketing strategy. They will also use the website to plan out specific functionality and inbound marketing to capture leads and drive sales.
The Designer aka the person who gets you noticed, in a good way.
A website designer focuses on all the visuals aspects of the website. How someone will experience your website from a user interface perspective. They are in charge of learning about the client and their ideal audience. They ask questions like:
"What will make your brand feel relatable and tell your story visually with a good flow"
"What website call to actions and visuals does the site need to have that matches a client's goals for website conversion"
"Does this site match the overall brand and tone we're looking for"
Often designers will mock up a wireframe and a visual plan often before actually creating a website design. When the wireframe is approved, the designer will create a cohesive visual design that incorporates the client's aesthetics and colors to style the website in an engaging way for visitors. They’re in charge of everything from the color palette to the fonts and get to design the graphics found throughout the website. A great designer wants to make sure you attract visitors visually and keep them coming back with a clean and custom design for your brand.
The Developer - aka the person who makes it work seamlessly
Without a developer, there wouldn’t be a website although much of their work is done “behind the scenes.” The developer is in charge of deploying the technical aspects of the website and codes and programs it to function as the client envisions. They can write custom code and understand CSS. They are also the problem-solvers of the team. When something isn’t going right or the client wants specific and unique functionality, it is the developer's job to research, prototype, and solve these issues. The developer also works closely with the designer to make sure the more visual elements work correctly.
The Content Specialist- the person who translates your story
The content specialist is the person who writes all of the website copy (content) and Call to Actions, with the goal of telling the clients story. Part of this is understanding the visitors journey and guiding the visitor from awareness to conversion. The content specialist will also set the tone of the website, matching the client's culture and personality. Part of their job includes understanding search engine optimization and writing in a way that appeals to what search engines are looking for, including site structure and keywords.
The Project Manager - the person who ensures everyone's plan works together
Working as the main point of contact for the client, a project manager the person who coordinates the whole project. They work to make sure the project is moving forward on time and within budget. They collect all the information needed from the client, explain the process to them, and work to make sure goals are being met. Typically, the project manager will have some sort of weekly touch-base with the client. At the beginning of the project, much of this time is spent gathering the needed information from the client–such as links, bios, testimonials, and other bits of content–and presenting proposed wireframes and designs to client and getting approvals as the process moves forward. In the second half of the project, the time is spent keeping the client informed with the building process and working through minor tweaks and changes.
The SEO Consultant- the person to makes sure, when you build it, people come
If the team is larger, they may have an SEO consultant (Search Engine Optimization) working alongside the content specialist. The SEO’s role is to help the content specialist plan out and implement SEO. This includes both on-page and off-page optimization, including keyword research, site structure, Google Analytics, Search Console, and Google My Business set-up and more. The role of SEO Consultant is to understand how someone looking for your services is searching online to find the solution you're offering. Their role is one that makes sure the website can be found online by new website visitors. It's one thing if someone knows your domain but if your website can't be found then it's all dressed up with nowhere to go. An SEO Consultant will know the right words that your audience will be using to find you vs. your industry jargon. They will also know how to link your website with other inside and external pages.
There you have it! The basic roles of a website development team. Are you looking to build a new website? Send us a question and maybe we will cover that topic next! Or, check out these other blogs about website development.
Questions to Ask a Development Team
Comments