How to choose a software or website developer

Finding the right developer is about as hard as finding any other professional to build you anything. Asking the right questions and checking references is always a good idea.

Choosing a software developer can be a hard ask; often it's as difficult as finding a good architect, builder or dentist. A software developer will help find out what you need, and write a custom piece of software for you. Totali writes web applications, and due to the ability to deliver access 24/7, you do not have to worry about the capabilities of your computer, or loss of data.

Web applications can help your business grow by streamlining your processes. Often software only works at 10% of its capacity, because it was designed for a different purpose, or for a range of business problems. Custom software can often be cheaper, and it's easier to make it fit around your business, rather than fit your business around a piece of software.

Custom software is expensive

It can be, but this is not always the case. It really depends on your exact requirements, and what it needs to do. Often well designed software pays for itself very quickly and helps your business achieve its marketing or sales goals much faster. Custom software is great for automating mundane tasks, or tasks that need to be completed on a regular basis.

Isn't the web insecure?

The web can be insecure if the software developer you choose does not recognise the risks. Often web based applications can be more secure than desktop applications, because they can be restricted to access from certain locations, as well as having finetuned user access. It's also much easier to get access to your information when you need it, without worrying about backups.

What to look for in a developer

We're probably a bit biased, but the things we would look for in a developer are:

• The ability to work with their team
• Their understanding of your business problem
• Their ability/reference to complete a solution similar to yours (we say similar as we get asked all the time if we've written software for a particular market - it's not whether they have experience in that market, it's whether they can deliver your solution using the same process).
• References - always check their references, we're happy to put you in contact with our clients, especially those that we have worked with for a long time - they know us really well, and are always in contact with us - we usually work as part of their extended team, not just someone on an urgent 'we need it now' basis.

We often get asked what programming languages we use. FYI, we use a range of languages, but our clients don't really care to be honest. Our clients come to us because they want their problem fixed - to their requirements, and they don't care how it's done. (If you really want to know which languages/products we use, here are a few: PHP, MySQL, C/C++, SQLite, Objective-C, Flash/ActionScript, Javascript, CSS, XHTML).

Posted on the 23rd of August, 2010, Written by Arron Edwards. Subscribe to our RSS Feed or our newsletter.

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