Starting a firm is a big step for almost everyone, especially if it’s your first venture. The prospect of becoming your own boss can be exciting, but it can also be pretty daunting at the same time. So, you’ve honed your web development skills over the past decade and you’re finally ready to branch out on your own. Though you may know plenty about web development, opening a web development firm is a whole different ball game! There’s definitely no way that you’re going to be able to go it alone without some help. In this case, what vendors would you need to get your web development business up-and-running in record time? Here’s five of the most essential:

1. Content writers

When people look for someone to help them with web development for their company websites, you would probably expect that the client would manage the content aspect of the whole project, while the web developer focuses on what he/she does best – web development! While this may be true in some instances, it almost always isn’t the case. Many a time, web developers receive ‘content’ from clients only to realise that the content is not what it’s supposed to be. Although it may not have been intentional, many clients think that a PowerPoint presentation file or a bunch of low-resolution photos are all that a web developer needs to work his/her magic. But as you’ve probably realised by now, websites usually don’t consist of just one of two web pages. Of course, websites shouldn’t be too wordy, but it should definitely be informative – big difference there! That’s where content writers come in to save the day. It’s handy to have a couple of them to help put the pizzazz into your client’s website information. They’re the ones who need to understand the client’s business and translate that understanding into worthy information for readers.

 

2. Copywriters

The biggest difference between content writing and copywriting lies in the purpose of writing it. To illustrate, in web development, content writing seeks to draw online audiences to the content so they stay on the website for a longer period of time and engage with the brand. On the other hand, copywriting is the art of writing for promotional advertising or marketing. So if you’re looking to sell something, you definitely need the skills of a copywriter. In businesses, there are two types of copywriting: B2C copywriting focuses on providing product information and a call-to-action, while B2B copywriting seeks to highlight a brand’s image or identity. A company’s website is where people go to when looking for more information on its products and services, and therefore, plays a huge role when it comes to digital marketing. Being the user’s’ focal point of reference, a website is literally a digital marketing tool for your business, so it’s imperative that the copywriting there is excellent. Digital marketing forums are a good place to look for copywriting services, or you could also employ the services of a digital marketing agency.

3. Photographers

A picture paints a thousand words, so the saying goes. And with digital marketing trending towards the use of more infographics and images – instead of words – to tell a story, photographers are definitely a must-have. A high-resolution image on your website’s landing page can really catch the attention of the viewer and pique their interest in wanting to know more about your business, and good photos have the ability to make even a simple website look spectacular. Also, if you’re running an eCommerce business, images are everything. Customers today are a discerning lot and they want to see images of a product from as any angles as possible before making a purchase decision, and providing them with the images definitely helps to up the possibility of a purchase. It’s important that the photographer understands your business mission to be able to translate the message onto the photographs taken. Do remember that photography expenses should be borne by clients – instead of the web development agency – so it’s best to inform your clients about this beforehand.

4. Designers

The success of a digital marketing effort depends largely on what people see or read on a website, highlighting the fact that web designers should be a key part of a web development agency. But is there a difference between a web designer and a web developer? Definitely. Web developers are not necessarily also web designers because it’s one thing to build a website, and another to make it look attractive. And usually, it’s very rare to find web developers that are also good at designing websites because coding is a very different skill compared to website designing. This tells you that for a web development agency, it’s best to separate the design and development aspects of a project and have both the web developer and the web designer carry out their roles separately.

 

5. Human resource and accounts managers

Last but not least, it’s good to hire a human resource and accounts professional to manage all matters relating to staffing and payroll. In a small web development agency, the human resource professional is usually also the office manager. Your web development agency may still be in its infancy, but as business grows over the years, you will require more staff to manage the workload. Having a human resource professional lets you leave the staffing and onboarding matters in his/her hands, leaving you more time for other pressing issues. Also, having staff automatically means that they are on your payroll, and without the necessary knowledge on accounting, managing payroll can be quite a nightmare. Save yourself the hassle of dealing with taxes, monthly deductions and overtime rates by hiring an accounts professional who knows how to handle these issues deftly. With these areas of the web development business covered, you’re well on your way to growing your web development agency.

 

One may know plenty about web development, however the idea of branching out and opening a web development first is a whole different step and honestly can be very daunting. We here at ThunderQuote  hope that this list of vendors was of good help to you

ThunderQuote is the most comprehensive business services portal in Singapore, Australia and ASEAN , where hundreds of thousands of dollars of procurement contracts are sourced every month by major companies like Singapore Press Holdings, National Trade Union Congress and more.