Developing a website is far more complex than online site builders make it seem.
When it comes time to customise your site, add in new features, incorporate scripts or even troubleshoot problems, you realise the importance of a professional developer. It’s why the best sites rely on a web developer to build and maintain their sites.
You have your hands full creating new content, marketing your business and driving traffic to your site. Let your developer handle all the back-end work for your site so it functions and performs even better.
1. Complex Code
Many of the customisations to make your site truly unique happen within the code. Despite the number of plug-ins and themes available, there are still some changes that can’t happen with knowing how to code. Diving into page after page of code to figure out where to add a new line is daunting to say the least. Even a single mistake could leave your site offline until it’s fixed.
Your web developer not only knows how to tweak code to get the right result, but they know what search engines expect too. The right code helps your rank, but a single line could drastically affect your SEO ranking.
2. Adding In Scripts
Scripts add extra functionality to your website, but added in the wrong place can cause loading issues, security problems and issues with the script itself. If you want custom scripts, you’ll also need to know how to code. Both are reasons to rely on your web developer to help you out.
They’ll create custom scripts to handle your site’s unique needs. They’ll also add them in the right places to ensure optimal performance without security risks.
3. Troubleshooting Problems
Are pages loading slowly? Is a new WordPress update wreaking havoc on your theme? Websites encounter technical problems and the faster they’re fixed, the less impact there is for your visitors and your site’s reputation. Hubspot even created a Website Grader tool to show you a few of your trouble areas, such as page loading speed, security issues and more.
The last thing you want to do is make a problem worse by trying to troubleshoot it yourself. A web developer has experienced most, if not all, common website issues. Rely on a web developer to pinpoint and fix your site’s issues.
4. Integrating 3rd Party Software
It might seem like a simple enough tasks to install your own plug-ins, themes and other third party software, but do you always know exactly what you’re adding? Sometimes the code behind the software is malicious, especially with non-verified software. Plus, if it’s not installed correctly, you could crash the entire website, leaving it offline until you can fix the problem.
Every time you add in new third party software, you have to ensure it’s compatible with everything else on your site. For instance, if you’re using WordPress, you must make sure the software’s compatible with your current WordPress version. Not only do developers know what to check for, but they also know the best software to use for your site.
5. Creating New Features
Your site’s development isn’t done after the initial release. You’ll want to add new features as time goes by to keep your site performing well while giving visitors the latest features. For instance, if you don’t have a mobile friendly design, you might want to upgrade your site to a responsive design, which Google now prefers. With only 18.7% of the top 10,000 sites having this feature, adding this helps you be more competitive.
Conclusion
When you rely on a web developer to build your site, you’re giving your site the best chance at success. From the initial coding to adding in new features over time, your developer takes care of numerous tasks to optimise performance and help provide visitors with a better experience.
Ready to start your own site or add new features? Contact StuartMedia today to get started with an experienced web developer.
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