Saturday 15 December 2012

Mistakes to Avoid as a Web Developer



For all web developers, it is extremely important to give the best service they possibly can in order to make sure things are done correctly. However, it sometimes becomes an often occurrence that developers will make the same mistakes and that could send the whole project off course and force you to take longer than needed. This off course means more money being spent and time being lost that could be used on other stages.


Certain mistakes are common for developers, whether they are freelance or working for a firm. Avoiding these mistakes can help save you, your company and your client time and money no matter which capacity you’re working in. Here are a few tips to avoid mistakes in order to be successful and increase your reputation in the web developing world.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

One of the main problems that many developers experience is the inability to communicate with clients or the “higher-ups” in order to come together on wants and needs when planning the web development. Clients and firms don’t always have a full understanding on what you as a developer are capable of and what you can use. Help make things easier and clearer for the clients and yourself by giving an idea of what can be done and let them fill out the remaining information in order to make things go smoothly.

Understand the Size of Project

Research is such an important part of developing in terms of understanding exactly what you will need in order to complete any project you’re about to work on. This is the time to learn and inform clients or firms of budget, timeline and any other needs that you will have to have to complete the project with no problems. Giving the clients and firms a better idea will also keep them from having you make the next mistake.

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Clients and firms, of course, would love to have all of their projects done fast, but that could come at the expense of having everything done right. Do not allow the clients or firms to rush you through any stage of the project whether it is planning or the actual developing so that you can make sure everything is in working order when you’re done with the project. This is where coming up with a pre-planned strike and numbers (budget, time) comes in complete handy because those that are expecting your projects won’t apply unrealistic numbers on you.

Know your Role

As a web developer, it is crucial that you understand that you are exactly that; a web developer. You are not a project manager, nor do you hold any other position. Your job is to develop and taking on any other responsibilities past that could result in you losing track of what you’re main objective is, causing a problem with your time and budget constraints.

Test, Test, Test

One of the biggest mistakes is for web developers to push the project without running multiple tests on multiple platforms and doing so alone. Different browsers, PCs, Mac computers, mobile; these are all different platforms to test on and enlisting some help will speed up the process and have a multiple set of eyes on everything just in case you miss something.
Be sure to use these tips when starting any project to avoid delays and make sure these mistakes don’t creep up on you.

No comments :