In web development business, what is the major causes of success and failure?
Location specific: Greater Atlanta Area
Good Answers (7)
Kim L
Marketing Director at 2.0 Group
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I think there are three things that are critical to building a successful web development business:
1. Appropriate internal talent mix for design; architecture/user experience, programming and, naturally, marketing. I've seen an awful lot of websites where you have to search for the company phone number or address.
2. Web Development process that is clearly defined for the client and your internal team; roles and responsibilities, project management plan with milestones and approval process spelled out, etc.
3. Scope documentation. The larger shops understand how to granularly scope a project, but smaller shops seem to want to skip this and it just can't be skipped. That's where you lose money. And you lose credibility because all of the creative, technical and functional requirements aren't defined from the get go.
Dick S
Owner Tenby Technologies / Inventor
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Just my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.
Many people can design beautiful web sites and many have great technical skills. These are the basic requirements to get into the game.
To my mind the major factor in the success or failure of a web design / development business is business skills. I'm talking about things like dealing with clients, negotiating, selling skills, pricing strategy, handling cashflow, managing personnel and production control.
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OMG i'm glad you asked this!
if you mean what is the cause of success/failure in your business succeeding.....that's what I am answering.
You've got your product, your web dev. that you are selling. of course you're coding should be quick and on point, you should be able to resolve bugs and issues, you're design should be good for you're niche, you should know SEO and market trends and what's hot in what different niches.....but THESE ARE A GIVEN. or should be.
what matters is service and problem solving. I work with probably 10 teams of web designers, coders, designers etc and it's all about these 2 things. 1. service. is your team really committed to your client? are they going to tweak the this and the that to make your client happy? over and over? because every (most) website build is a pain in the ass, and there is no way around it. they are a huge value, and huge money maker, but unless you have the true service ethic to get your client through the hemorrhoid we call websites, your business will run mediocre. which brings me to 2. problem solving. every web-site is a new development and a new beast, even if you're just bangin' out out word press sites all day. what is your dedication to solving problems with branding, content, web-copy? what about system? What systems do you have in place that help the client (and you're company) get through the process? Such as, there should all be a q[questionnaire/ discovery meeting that is meticulous in figuring out needs/wants/desire/goals. how about a timeline that is stuck to like glue.
budgets and deadlines are what get missed in web dev. the budget often get's overshot and as a result, the deadline gets missed.
oh and another, the ability for web teams to sub-out and outsource. please for the love of god, have a list of freelancers that you can rely on (no, you aren't the only one that knows how to do everything well) if you get busy. things happen in life, and with a service-based firm, you need people to fall back on.
really......service. know that you're industry often gives client major migraines that can be avoided. and use it in your key message of your brand.
And....get the word out.
Elie K
Programmer/Analyst at The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company
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First, there's a great book recently published (I think it was in May of this year, but I could be off by a few months). I wrote a review of it, there's a link below. It's called "The Web Startup Success Guide" by Bob Walsh. A must read if you're thinking about starting any kind of online or software business.
I think that one of the chief reasons web development businesses fail is because their founders fail to understand, or acknowledge, the impact their product has on their potential clientele. While getting the word out about your product is important, it's more important that you connect to your clients to solve a problem they have (which they may not realize until they see your product).
You can make a great product, but if it doesn't fill a need, then it's doomed. You can also make a product that isn't fantastic, but it fills a real need, and therefore succeeds by being better than the alternatives. Something you may want to look into is what's called Minimum Viable Product, and there's a link below to a video describing what this is, and how it works.
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Venkatesh T
CEO at Cabot Solutions - Providing Flex, PHP, JAVA development
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Hi Jack,
There are several good answers already here.
One factor about web development business is the competitive nature of the beast itself. I noticed that you wanted a location specific answer, Greater Atlanta area. Web development business is becoming like a restaurant business, meaning people see that they can cook well so why dont we start a restaurant? And four out of five restaurants close within the first 6 months after posting a heavy loss. So my thoughts on this would be simple, it is a competitive business and if you are getting into the game as another player, make sure you have something special that you can differentiate from others.
Your designs, technology etc are all available to other competitiors as well. So it is your service and your way of reaching out and forming relationships with customers that matter. Also think beyond websites. Try to understand the business issues of the clients and how your technology can assist in solving them. Take time for form relationships and keep them once you have found it.
Good luck with the business !
Venkatesh
Personally a major cause for success is to meet and exceed your client's expectations! There's nothing more gratifying than a satisfied client and they would in turn help to bring in new clients and return business.
Another important cause for success is to have a competent team. A tree doesn't make a forest, as they say. Web development is broad so you have to have a strong team competent in different aspects.
Also as Dick Slackman pointed out in his comment above you not only need to develop good websites but you need to have good all round business skills.
You must also provide professional customer/tech support.
Causes of failure in web development business is merely the opposite of this.
Asya R
Web Design and Internet Marketing For Service Industry Professionals, Social Media Strategist
I think both these answers depend greatly on how you get started. A few things, getting into the web development business today is very competitive. It's important to really think about your strengths and weaknesses are as it relates to running a business, this goes for financial, organizing, budgeting, marketing, etc.. determine what these are and start finding the right people that can take over these areas when you need it. Another thing is defining the type of clients you want to work with. Everyone needs a website, but not everyone is your ideal client. Figure out if you are going to plunge in the market as a web designer for everyone (in my opinion is a bad idea) or if you want to select a market and become the expert web development company for that market.
Keeping these two things in mind will greatly determine your level of success or failure.
More Answers (16)
DAVE M
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Success: Creating sites that attract visitors and hopefully new clients...
Failure: The opposite...
Ill have to get back to you on that. :)
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Firas A
CEO ♦ Finance & FMCG Professional ♦ Real Estate Brokerage ♦ All In One ♦ One For All
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Hi Jack,
For Success and failure in web development business below are important points to be considered carefully...Good Luck
*) creating good look attractive websites
*) webs that work properly and without errors
*) Acceptable prices
*) Meet clients’ needs in a professional way
*) Innovation, new ideas
*) Good customer service, good maintenance, and follow up
*) Commitment
Make Ur Day A Gooood Oneeee
F.A.A.
Wallace J
Multimedia Producer and i3D Programmer for Acrobat 3D PDF, JavaFX, Mobile & Virtual Worlds
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Use of search-engine friendly technologies without using plug-ins in under a megabyte!
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I think a cause of failure can be a to technical approach.
I'm not saying new technology and standards are bad, but always keep in mind that 99% of site visitors don't care about that part.
For me, building thinks from a user point (your clients and their visitors) is the key to success.
Geoff F
"Hands-on" Software Architect and Senior Developer
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For development as opposed to the popularity of the site?
Planning. Thinking that you can massage the web interface endlessly and that developers can respond to this effortlessly will lead to a confused muddle. Design the site and figure it out before development.
We at WebCastle Technologies believe that the process of dealing with project is the biggest success of our service.
We follow strict steps for each project we deal with, starting from Kick-off Meeting to Site Launch, we know when, how things will happen. Say, a better planing.
Being honest is another part. Client should understand what we are doing and how much effort is there. Then they will surely be happy to pay for your project. And surely they will come back.
Deadline is another big issue. If you say today, then you should keep your word.
Last, but the important, quality. Your work should not be creative all the time. But it should convey the message what client wants to. In design, when you put a pixel dot, it should be meaningful. When you write html, each div should be mandatory. That is what we call quality.
Major cause of failure is, new comers don't know how to charge for their service. They want money to survive. And so, they are okay with low rates. Results, drop of quality, less interest in projects leads to extending deadlines, do tricky job to fake client, no planing....
What else? F@a!L!!
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One major factor for success or failure is professionalism.
Be true to who and what your company is as a business.
Success and failure is based on communication of goals. A clear plan which is understood by the business team and the technology team is the roadmap to success.
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Success: Being able to communicate the value of your service and then delivering on said value to potential clients.
Failure: not able to show your value and failing to deliver.
John C
ROCK SOLID Business Coach : I'm the guy business owners call when they want more TRaction
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Hi Jack,
Like most competitive businesses success comes from having a clear idea of the value you want to deliver.
It is tantalizingly easy to get this confused with what you do.
For example, as a business coach I know that prospects are not interested in buying more meetings or a new trusted friend with their best interests in mind. They do value significant improvements to their business.
Success comes from identifying what the prospects value and delivering.
Many business owners don't know much about IT and don't really want to. They are however, interested in what technology can do for them. The more you get your mind around "your value" and develop it, the more likely you are to be successful.
John Cameron
ROCK SOLID Business Coach
Not understanding the target customer(client), hence, not articulating the value proposition appropriately...
Simple marketing 101...
Rudy L
SEO Consultant and VP of Operations at The Smartacus Corporation
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In a word: communication
Communicating effectively with clients minimizes problems and tends to lead to a successful project. Also, designing interfaces which clearly communicate the site owner's intent and business message will similarly tend to produce favorable customer experiences.
All the rest is technique, tools, and syntax.
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This is a difficult question as there are plenty of Technologies out there that can create good site and handle SEO.
What we have found is imilar to gary's point, knowing your target audience, what is the mission of the firm and constructing your SEO to get the right audience to the site.
Finally, we come back to sales 101, having a pitch that excites and idfferntiates so the visiors do not bounce but rather return.
Don Pare
www.donpare.ca
The major cause of success as a web designer / developer is that your websites and e-shops look and perform better than any other. I believe nowadays an excellent customer service is a must across all industries...
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Mirek P
e-Strategist, e-Consultant; owner @ OPEN4net [LION: mpolyniakATgmail.com] pharma focus!
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good project management skills - IMHO it's the crucial factor as good web design is a very complex process
