The success of your marketing campaign or SaaS company launch hinges on your web development team’s efficiency. For effectiveness, you need to have people who can be entrusted with developing your website. When setting up a web development team, you want to make sure it has the following roles filled. We advise you to always look at how top web development companies are doing and take an example from them. This way you can learn from their experience and grow your company faster.
1. Project Manager
As the name suggests, a project manager is the leader of any development team. The manager is responsible for the project’s overall running. They make important decisions and facilitate a cohesive working environment. They communicate with the client, set time frames, organize the task force, and allocate resources. A project manager should possess top leadership and communication skills as the roles involve human-to-human interactions. You should involve the project manager in the hiring process, and they can help design contract templates to be used when bringing other team members on board.
2. A UX Designer
Developing a website or an application involves intensive research on the targeted user. A UX/UI designer takes this role. The designer does intensive research on the various users to determine the desired user experience. The results are then used to design a layout for your website. Typically, the design team will come up with various designs and pick the most viable. A UX designer should have the following skills:
- High analytical skills
- Psychological skills to understand user needs
- Creativity
3. Web Developer
After the UX team has designed a perfect layout, they pass it to web developers who work to actualize the design. They fall into three categories:
4. Front End Developers
These are responsible for developing the static interface images provided by the UX team into an actual website for the client. They should be proficient in programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
5. Back End Developers
Back end developers create the server-side of a web app that receives data, processes it, and sends back appropriate feedback to the front end. Back-end developers should be proficient in Java, Net, and python programming languages. Additionally, the back-end developer should be able to handle the database tasks, or you will be forced to hire a database developer.
6. QA Analysts
A QA analyst tests the viability of the product in the market. Most HRs make the mistake of bringing in a QA as the project nears the end. However, it is only wise to contract them at the start of the project to ensure a systematic web development approach. A QA can spot mistakes early enough and have them corrected, which would otherwise be very expensive if discovered later on.
7. A Copywriter
A copywriter will be responsible for creating content for your website. A copywriter should be well versed in search engine optimization and content marketing.
8. Graphic Designer
You will need a logo and customized images for your site development and marketing purposes. A graphic designer will take on this role.
Next Steps
Having assembled the right team, how do you make sure your web development project is successful? The truth is, running a web development project is not a small feat. Remember that your website will be your brand image carrier and online store. The success of any online marketing effort you embark on in the future will depend on how efficient your website is. Thus, you cannot afford to flop at the web development stage. Below are crucial tips to help you get the project rolling smoothly and maximize every resource to achieve project success.
Formulate a Project Strategy
This is perhaps the most essential step for successful project completion. Visualize your project objective and list down the key resources and steps required to achieve success. For instance, what do you aim to achieve with the website? What resources do you need to implement your plan? Who will you be targeting? How will you reach them? Answering all these questions will help you draw a comprehensive project outline that covers all the basics and have an effective website that meets its objective(s).
Set Clear Responsibilities
Though each team member has their unique capabilities, sometimes their roles may overlap or leave some areas unattended. This can drag the project behind and compromise its success. To avoid such a situation, ensure you break down the entire process and set clear responsibilities so that each team member understands their specific tasks. Consider using platforms like Trello to assign tasks and manage the teams.
Maintain Brand Consistency
Branding is essential in winning new business and building brand loyalty. Your website will be a crucial part of your branding strategy. It’s therefore vital to ensure you maintain brand consistency from your logo to website design, content, and on every other touchpoint. Ensure your teams are aware of this and insist on strict observance of the strategy.
Implement a Solid Content Strategy
Content is an integral part of website development and the crown of online marketing. A website acts as a store that operates 24/7. Someone with zero knowledge of your business should be able to understand what your business is about and the value they can gain from it just by going through your website pages.
Assuming you have a documented content strategy, ensure the content creators prepare content that represents your brand well. This will ease the work of the web developers and also ensure your website is selling your business effectively.
Discuss Maintenance
Once your website is up and running, you may get all excited and overlook a crucial part of the process – maintenance. A website requires regular maintenance to keep functioning well. Ensure you discuss this with the web developer and outline who and when the maintenance will be. Find out about their maintenance package and see whether there are things that can be done in-house. Also, brainstorm any possible system failures and how to combat them or who to call for assistance.
You also need to discuss the content strategy with the copywriter and web developer and agree on when and who will be uploading subsequent content. Having these clearly defined will ensure you have a flawless experience with your website.
Endnote
The success of your online marketing campaigns starts and ends with your website. Having an effective website that represents your brand accurately is crucial to your business success. However, a flop at the web development stage may diminish the effectiveness of your future marketing efforts. Following these tips will help streamline the project and ensure the team performs efficiently.
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