You may be asking yourself if it’s worth investing in a web developer. Has your business reached a point where a basic website will no longer suffice? Has business plateaued—or reduced—and are you wondering if better-utilizing the Internet may boost sales again? Following are six common functions and projects of web developers that may help you determine if it’s time to pass your online operations over to an expert.

 Establishing or Improving Online Presence

A website may be the first impression prospective customers have of your brand. Are you being represented well online? Do you appear professional and legitimate—we all know the power of image. It’s not all about aesthetics either. Is your website usable and easy to navigate?

Maintenance and Hosting

What if your website’s server goes down or some other technical issue arises? Are you qualified to handle these difficulties? Do you have the time or resources? One of the most important—and comforting—reasons for having a long-term web developer is for their technical assistance and back-end support. You have enough to deal with already in running your business, should maintaining and fixing your website be on the list too?

Website Responsiveness

Does your website display well on different browsers, platforms and devices? When it comes to technology and user-interfaces, there are hundreds of options and thousands of combinations. Was your website written in a practical language, or one that is phasing out or incompatible with common devices? Will it display on Safari? What about Internet Explorer? Is it usable on smart phones? There are so many factors to consider when developing a responsive and adjustable website, and the effectiveness—or ineffectiveness—of this development aspect will impact who reaches you online and how.

Content Management and Creation

Your business and industry are constantly evolving, and so should the content of your website—that is, if you want to stay relevant in the hyper paced, Internet marketplace. Displaying and broadcasting information are what your website is all about, and this can be done continuously though the avenues of newsletters, news feeds, blogs and content in general. But again, do you have the time or resources to manage and create website content on an ongoing basis?

Online Marketing

Your online presence is not limited to a company website. Leveraging online and inbound marketing techniques—which reach beyond the tiny corner of the Internet your website occupies—are an effective means, and emerging standard, for advertising. Some of these techniques include social media marketing, blogging, podcasts, videos and other types of content that draw consumers to your brand. Are you leveraging the Internet to boost not only your image but also your business?

Search Engine Optimization

You have a nice website, but is it findable through search engines? There is a direct correlation between where your website shows up on search engines and the amount of traffic your website gets—and a correlation between website traffic and overall business. The earlier and more frequently your website shows up on Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines, the more effective your online presence. Web developers know how to optimize your website for search engines, do you?

If you were intrigued by the points above, follow the offer below for invaluable information on how to go about hiring a web developer!