What skills do you need to create an all-star website? It’s something I think about often, and I have had a ton of people come to us recently who have been burned.  Burned because they had their friend who ‘did websites’ or a design / creative company start their projects and after in one case 10’s of thousands of dollars they had nothing to show for it.  What skills do you need to look for to create a significant web project.  I’m not talking your 5 – 20 page marketing site with some contact forms.  I’m talking e-commerce, event registration, membership management, inventory control and some websites that border the line or cross the line to application.  What do you look for in a person or a firm?

• Creative/ Designer – You will need to work with a group that has creative insight.  An organization that can ride the line of intuitive and appealing.  Someone who can create something that is aligned with your businesses identity and can get the job done.
• Information Architecture – Planning how content will be organized, designing how visitors will be converted into customers
• Copywriting – If the client isn’t prepared to create the copy you will need someone to take on this aspect of the project
• Usability and process expert – someone who can wireframe and mock up how users will move through the system, determining what elements should be placed, what data should be collected and “what’s next” for the user.
• Software developer – A competent developer with a track record of success, someone who has built systems before that have been successful and error free. Preferably experience in many different platforms and languages, shows breadth of knowledge.
• Internet Marketer – Someone who can analyze URL formats, Title tags, Meta data, keyword density and make an outline for the website to perform well organically.
•  Systems administrator – knowledge of configuring backups, setting up databases, configuring web servers, email and DNS

It’s possible to find all of these talents in a single individual, but very difficult.  This is why it is best to lean on a firm when your budget allows as the experts in each role can do their part in the project.  It also makes it easier when your single designer, developer or whomever is tired of the project and no longer wants to work on it.