Web Development Series

The Web Development Series articles were written in 1997 to highlight the negotiation issues involved in web development from the perspective of the site owner and developer. The first three articles were originally published on the Institute of Continuing Education Web Site. The last article was written for the ILPN (now defunct) web site. Although the articles were written over five years ago, many of the discussion points apply equally to today's development environment.

Hiring the Web Developer

Originally published in 1996

In case you haven't noticed, a new and growing cottage industry has emerged in the last few years: Internet Web page development.

If you or your clients are considering venturing onto the Internet's World Wide Web, or if you represent a Web page developer, remember that there are a number of business and legal issues associated with creation and maintenance of a Web site. Knowledge of the issues up front can help avoid problems and frustrations down the road.

The fastest growing area of the Internet is the World Wide Web. Although the technology leading up to the Web was developed throughout the 1970s and 80s, the Web itself was invented in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN, the European Particle Physics Laboratory. It was prototyped in the early 1990s and came into its own in 1993 and 1994 with the introduction of Mosiac and other early Web browsers.

At the heart of the World Wide Web are Web pages or sites. An Internet Web site may contain a few to several thousand "pages" of text, graphics, photographs, scrolling messages, even sound and video. The site may be static, like an electronic brochure, or dynamic, with constantly changing content. It may be comprised of entirely original material or incorporate material of others. A growing variety of features may be incorporated into the site, with an ever changing range of options.

Costs can run from modest to downright expensive.

There are already tens of thousands of Web sites on the Internet. Professional web site development firms are springing up daily. Advertising agencies, Internet service providers and others are offering web page development and maintenance services. Developer experience and sophistication in business and contracting covers a broad spectrum. And virtually no one can claim more than a few years of experience in actual Web page development.

Hiring a web developer is in many respects similar to hiring an architect and contractor to design and build a project. Like a construction project, many web page development efforts proceed in stages.

The initial stage is. the conceptual stage. This is where the developer and client agree on the appearance, features, length, and style of the site. It is typically where the costs, scope and terms of the project are negotiated and agreed to, either formally or informally. Client input is critical as the conceptual stage forms the basis for the completed site.

The second stage is the design stage. The basic style of the site is selected and illustrations, graphics, and other site content is laid out, typically through flow charts and hardcopies. Various site alternatives may be presented by the developer.

The third stage is the site development stage. HTML (Hypertext Mark Up Language, the most common Internet programming tool) authoring is incorporated into the site and the true look and feel of the site can be experienced.

The fourth stage is the testing stage. The site is tested to ensure hyperlinks perform properly and the site otherwise conforms with desired specifications.

The final stage is implementation or "going live." The site is opened to the world on the client or host provider's server. Additional services including registering the site with World Wide Web search engines and popular directory sites, and linking from other sites.

Finally, once the site is up and running, the site must be maintained. Maintenance may include anything from periodic review of functionality to frequent updating and revisions of links and site content, depending on the desires and budget of the client.

The entire development of a Web site may run from a few weeks to several months, depending on the nature of the project. For dynamic sites with ever changing content and appearance, development is an on-going process; distinctions between the stages described above are blurred as the Web site constantly evolves.

Once the decision is made to launch a Web site, the first step is hiring the Web site developer. Web site development is more a function of creativity than computer programming. Indeed, HTML programming is, in many cases, the easiest part of the project. Developers can be located through a variety of media, including newspapers, magazines, direct mail advertisements, technology trade shows, and the Web itself.

As in many service based businesses, it is beneficial for clients to shop for a Web page developer. The Web facilitates this selection process by allowing a potential client to view and experience other sites created by the developer. Once a potential developer is located, get a list of URLs (site location identifiers) to other sites created or maintained by the developer.

Most developers already have Web pages containing links to sites they have worked on. The developer's site, as well as those of the developer's clients, can be quickly reviewed to get a feel for the developer's style, creativity and quality. By comparing work among various developers, the selection process can be narrowed or refined.

A number of companies use Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to help locate developers. These may be posted at various sites on the Internet or sent directly to potential developers. RFPs may be very beneficial to parties seeking a Web page developer. They provide standards of comparison, ideas and an ability to engage in price and term comparison.

On the other hand, RFPs can be risky for Web developers. Responding to an RFP can be a costly and time consuming task if the developer does not get the bid. Moreover, absent an agreement prohibiting disclosure or use, there is generally no intellectual property protection for ideas contained in an RFP. The developer may be left without recourse (or compensation) when it discovers that its unique concept for a potential client has been incorporated into a site created by another developer. Part of this problem can be alleviated by standard "canned" proposal responses that are generic as opposed to project specific.