5 Things You Should Know About Third-Party Developers

Most websites are only as successful as their developers. Choosing the right team to work on your site is one of the most important decisions to make as an owner. You need a group of third-party developers with the experience, track record, and knowledge to take your e-commerce store to the next level. The list of what to look for is long, but the list of what not to look for is even lengthier. Avoid the following problems by going with the right developer from the start:

Vague Timelines

A vague timeline might as well be a never-ending timeline for the amount of good it will do your company. Without a set website launch timeline, your team will have no idea when to prepare or how to map out your future business plan. You could also get stuck paying an exorbitant amount for an unnecessarily drawn-out website launch or service. Ask for a timeline up front, and look at past projects to see the developer’s rate of success.

Little to No Experience

Check the developer’s history working with companies like yours and your website platform. Make sure the developer has success stories he or she can show you before signing a contract. Hands-on experience is necessary in the complex field of website or e-commerce store development. Lack of experience could lead to pitfalls for your company. Check for work experience in the earliest stages of your relationship with a developer.

Open Communication

How well does your developer keep you in the loop? Bad communication is a common problem that could lead to misunderstandings, disagreements, and major mistakes. Search for a third-party service provider that prioritizes communication, answers phone calls from clients, and believes in keeping an open dialogue about the project.

Lack of Quality Assurance

Avoid rushed projects or abandoned projects with a developer by searching for quality assurance (QA). QA testing to make sure a website meets certain requirements can safeguard you from a developer that will drop a project prior to completion. Quality assurance gives you the company’s word that it will finish a project according to your product requirements.

Low-Quality Services

Switch developers at the first sign of something seriously wrong, such as lack of upkeep on your website or bad integration documentation. These are prevalent problems that could end up in extra costs for your services. Lack of proper documentation, for example, could set a new website team up for failure in the future. Analyze the skills and success rates of your chosen third-party developer thoroughly for the best odds of e-commerce store success.

Did any of these points hit home a little too hard? Connect with an eCommerce expert at Forix and see first-hand how we are different.