Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Finding A Freelancer: How To Get Your Web Development Done Right

By Michael Fleischner

I'm not a web developer and truthfully I have no plans to become one in the near future. My background has nothing technical to show for it, requiring me to work with others who have intimate knowledge of programming languages, web site design and a whole lot more.

The good news is that I have found, through the suggestion of others, a way to get access to some of the leading resources for web development throughout the world. By using these resources, I have a significant advantage over most because I'm able to get what I need, when I need it, at an affordable price. When you're trying to get something done, you need to know where to go and what to do.

Here's how you can get access to quality developers at low cost, but it all begins with a clear understanding of what work needs to be done. The best way to start is by defining the specific tasks you want accomplished. I find that the best way to do this is by opening an Excel spreadsheet and writing down each of your tasks and providing enough detail that anyone reading them will easily understand what you want done. Make sure your list is thorough and complete with all the necessary information.

After you have made your list of to do items and clearly explained each one in detail, you're ready to find developers who can do the work for you. The best way to do this is to tap into developer resources through aggregation sites like eLance.com. As one of my favorite sites, you simply post your job including the details your noted on your spreadsheet, and submit for qualified companies to bid. In just a short time you will have as many as a dozen qualified bids at an affordable price.

With a large number of bids to chose from you may be asking yourself how can you make sure you select the right vendor. I have a simple method you can use that isn't right one hundred percent of the time but does work rather well. Throw out the most expensive and the least expensive bid. After doing so, look for the vendor who has done the most projects and has the highest feedback rating. Finally, look at their samples and make sure you like what they've done for other clients. When you find a company you're happy with, award them the bid and your project can start.

After submitting a number of projects and having more work done in this fashion, you will find a short list of providers that have really come through for you. Ive develop relationships with development firms that have done a good job, giving them more and more business. Once you reach that point, you can ask them to include a proposal on any bid you submit or work with them directly.

Finding qualified developers who can help you achieve your web site goals becomes easy through a bidding process. Working with vendors in this way can be challenging at times but the more you work with them, the more specific your instructions, and the better the results. One tip is to pay by the milestone reached. This ensures that your objectives are being met and vendors are only being paid when they perform.

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