Find a web person that refers to themselves as a developer not a web designer. Anyone calling themselves a web developer will write code. Just like we have bad gerneral contractors running around working on homes, we have bad web developers running around working on sites. The web design industry is worse though. We don’t need to even buy a truck and a ladder to look like a professional. Basically, just go buy a 300.00 laptop from Bestbuy and watch a couple youtube videos. I see a lot of poorly written amateur code. Every week I talk to someone who had a so called web designer build their website. Something broke, and now this web designer is gone. The reality is that this web designer probably did a 100 to 200 dollar fix, and its not enough money to make a living. With no skin in the game, they are outa here.
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If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur – Red Adair

Expect a web developers hourly rate to be higher. Not because they all drive convertables, simply because our time is limited. Here is a good example. I have the average small business owner contacting me needing website help, and I have smaller web designers and developer friends that have websites needing work. Time is just limited.

I always tell people watch out for the kid in the coffee shop. Mostly because I hear stories from clients. Things like, “I met them at starbucks and gave them the check for 4000.00. Now we can’t get ahold of them”. A client last week said, “He met me in a coffee shop and he was kind of creepy”. Another one told me she met the designer over coffee, and he gave her everything for her website on a thumbdrive. I hear a war story every week.

Skip that part, and find a small web agency. Most these coffee shop heros are probably working at a small agency anyways. The hourly rate will be a little higher, but you have a better chance that the company will still be in business next year when you want to expand and grow your website.