Having built my first website in 2002 and started Afternet's journey in 2006, I can say I have gathered enough material for the book I have half-jokingly promised to write, covering all my experiences from this remarkable journey. In truth, I remember this imaginary book most often when I hear the experience, usually a shocking one, of a prospective client who comes to us to build or support their e-shop and tells us what they went through and how much hassle it caused.
Let me make one thing clear. It is my standing practice, one I have passed on to my colleagues at Afternet, never to criticise or speak negatively about any company or freelancer a client is unhappy with. There are three reasons: a) I started out as a freelancer myself, a one-man show, and I know how and why things are the way they are; b) unfortunately, the client is not always right, and when I hear "I've changed 3–4 companies and still haven't got the job done", I get a little nervous; c) toxicity, criticism and negative energy help no one in the conversation and add nothing to our lives.
As a member of SEDE, the first association dedicated exclusively to our sector, we take part in an effort, started with respected colleagues, to map the businesses working in web design and development. So far, the data show that out of roughly 1,000 companies, the overwhelming majority consist of 1–2 people, while companies with 10 or more employees (including us) are a very small share, perhaps in single digits. That means there is a huge supply out there, and with a little research you can find prices for the same (apparently) e-shop ranging from €790 to €79,000, maybe even more!
How to make the right decision
I have often faced the question, especially in earlier years, "why should I choose you?", usually followed by "you all say the same things". I picture the business owner holding two offers with exactly the same features, the same services, maybe even similar wording, except that the second one has a few extra zeros at the end. I can really picture them stunned, muttering to themselves, perhaps even swearing under their breath.
If you want to avoid all of the above, use the list below to evaluate the company bidding to build your e-shop or website.
1. How many years they have been in business
Continuous work and growth in this specific field matters a great deal. To me, it shows dedication and focus. A company with more than 10 years of continuous presence has managed to establish itself, when most companies fail in their first 2–5 years.
When you talk to them, ask for a short history of the company, with its milestone years and most important moments, and try to understand its culture from what you hear.
2. What services they offer
It is very important that the company you choose offers only web development and related services. There are companies offering IT services, computer support, consulting or creative services that say they ALSO build websites. Nothing wrong with that, but you should know that most of them hand projects to web development companies, essentially acting as resellers. Nothing wrong with that either, as long as you ask which company will actually build your site and evaluate all the other factors in this article.
Once you are sure it is a pure web development company, notice how they present their offer. After all the hassle, it is important to fully understand what you are hearing. If you hear lots of unfamiliar words and technical jargon, ask for a "translation into plain language". The aim is not to learn everything about web development, which is in no way your job, but to understand the basic concepts so you can evaluate the offers. You can use our glossary for that.
3. How many people they employ
Following on from the two points above, it is very important to find out how many people the company employs and what their roles are (developers, designers, etc.). In particular, find out who handles support after the site is delivered, and how many people. If the company is 1–2 people, the same people do everything (production, support, training, etc.), so depending on how complex your project is, you are very likely to run into delays and difficulties with support, communication and further development.
It is also important to understand whether the staff are permanent employees or external contractors who obviously also work on their own projects or for other companies. The difference with a company that has an in-house team on permanent contracts (like us) is that it has invested in people and infrastructure in order to deliver those services promptly and effectively.
4. How many and what kind of projects they have done
The most important proof of a company's expertise, reliability and overall track record is its work. In essence, nothing else matters if you cannot show and prove that you have done what you promise. Ask them to show you projects similar to yours, projects they consider important and that reflect the team's expertise, case studies they are proud of.
The number of projects matters less than their complexity and performance. You may find a company that has built 500+ off-the-shelf e-shops with no online success, and another that has built perhaps 50 successful, profitable e-shops. Obviously, choose the second. Finally, ask whether they have done any project in your industry. It is not decisive, but a company that has worked in your industry before will certainly have an advantage in developing your project.
5. Whether they specialise in a platform
To the eternal question "which platform is best?" there is one answer: the one you know best, the one you have invested time and people to learn and specialise in. By platform we mean the system a website is built on. You have surely heard of WordPress, Drupal, Magento, PrestaShop and OpenCart, and you may have taken part in discussions or read articles about which one is best.
If a company tells you it supports every platform, most likely it either "knows a little of everything" or hands projects to external contractors, with everything that implies. One of the biggest problems in our sector is the shortage of staff, let alone specialised staff. In my experience, it is unlikely that one company can bring together a team with specialised knowledge of every platform, in both development and support. Things move so fast that it is almost impossible to follow 4–5 technologies and stay up to date.
At Afternet we have chosen to specialise in PrestaShop, and we are currently a certified partner for Greece. We also have extensive experience with WordPress and WooCommerce. We do not take on projects on other platforms; there are very good colleagues out there whom we recommend, depending on the case.
6. Get references and feedback from their clients
Even if the answers to all of the above satisfy you, do not skip this important step. When you choose a company for your website, you are gaining a partner for many years, an advisor for your online growth and, by extension, an important ally for your business. What happens after launch matters more than simply getting a beautiful, functional website.
Don't ask them who to contact. Naturally, you will be given the details of the clients who are happy and have the best relationships. To those who ask me, and to those I encourage (almost insist) to contact our clients, I simply say: explore our portfolio and pick whoever you like, with no involvement from us.
In recent years, the buyer-seller relationship has changed a lot. Buyers are much better informed from the start, before they contact any company, so I believe that beyond everything above, other factors also play a role in choosing a partner, factors that are purely about human relationships. Day-to-day pressures and the business environment, especially in our country, greatly increase suspicion, stress and tension, most of the time for no reason. So I suggest choosing a partner who inspires you overall with their philosophy, their mindset, their empathy and, finally, the culture of the company they represent.
7. Take your time
Recently we received a contact form from a prospective client interested in building a website. They sent it during the Easter holidays, I think late on Holy Thursday. We contacted them on the first working day after the holidays, and they told us they had already chosen another partner! It has happened to me before as well: we contacted prospective clients the day after their request and got the same answer.
Based on all the points above, I advise you to spend enough time choosing your partner. You should have a clear plan and timeline to contact, evaluate and finally choose someone. As I said, you are about to gain a partner for the coming years who will help you grow your business, improve its profitability and, ultimately, protect your peace of mind.
Don't rush and don't make hasty decisions. A failed online presence can damage your company's image as a whole, an image you may have built over years with effort and sacrifice. And if you get burned the first time, it will be very hard to win back the trust of those who were let down.
In closing
Keep the advice above even if we never work together on a project, for whatever reason. Feel free to share it with other business owners looking to build an e-shop or website and help them make their choice.
If you need guidance with any of this, we are here to help at any time. You can contact us here.
Good luck with your project!
