Rebuild website?

[RSUE2]

Hi,

I had a website built for me by a freelancer. However, I'm not happy with it and would rather not go back to the same person. Could I possibly save on costs and get someone to build on top of what I have now or would they have to start from scratch?

Thanks

 

[arnydnxluk]

It depends on how much of the existing website you're unhappy with.

Are you looking for an entirely new design?

Are there specific elements or pages you would like improved?

Are you unhappy with the backend (if it's running on a content management system)?

In short: yes, another developer can take your existing website and make alterations as required. However at some point, it becomes more economical to build the website from scratch. Likewise if for example you have an e-commerce website and don't like the backend system, then you'll need an entirely new website built (although using the existing design could speed up the process and save some money).

 

[fisicx]

Could I possibly save on costs and get someone to build on top of what I have now or would they have to start from scratch?

I depends on the platform they used to build the site. If it's something like WordPress then changing the theme is quick and easy. If it's static site then It becomes more difficult. So to answer your question, we really need to see the site.

 

[webhostuk]

Check before you create more mess out of it, of you can go to themeforest check for some ready-made themes and then decide.

 

[Alan]

Could I possibly save on costs and get someone to build on top of what I have now or would they have to start from scratch?

As mentioned, it all depends what has been created and if you have access to everything you need top give to another developer.

Devil is in the detail.

The only way to find out is to engage a developer you trust to give you advice and do the work fairly.

The main thing you will have to know, to find a suitable develooper, is to know what technology has been used to build the site - is it just HTML/CSS/Javascript or has it got server side functionality ( common ones being WordPress, Joomla, Drupla, OpenCart, Prestashop, Magento, or indeed a custom server side ), as there are so many combinations you won't find a true expert in everything.

 

[RSUE2]

Thanks for your answers. I should of said, the site was built on wordpress. It is an affiliate store, so kind of like a ecommerce website but without a checkout.

It is only a MVP so I don't really want a entirely new design, just certain improvements to make the site look a bit more professional.

What kind of information would I need to pass onto the next developer?

Thank you

 

[fisicx]

You just need to list the changes you want making.

As it's a Wordpress site it shouldn't be too difficult unless they have installed a theme that isn't easy to edit or you don't have cpanel access.

 

[Alan]

What kind of information would I need to pass onto the next developer?

Any decent WordPress developer should only need the URL to be able to determine what theme / plugins are used.

You will also need to be confident that you have at least admin access to WordPress and control of the domain ( the minimum required to migrate a WordPress site - if it comes to needing to drag the site away from a reluctant developer )

And then a list of changes, the more detailed the better, screenshots with annotations are fine. ( you can use a tool like Skitch ).

 

[Wesley@Create]

The important thing is not to make the same mistake twice. Although individual developers can offer an economic service, the support afterwards is always minimal. With Wordpress being the worlds most used development tool, it will be easy to rebuild at a minimum cost.
We also find that larger companies such as Yell or Webfactory tend to use their own bespoke platforms to 'corner' the unaware into having to use their services in the future. Again, something to avoid.

 

[MaureenP]

Thanks for your answers. I should of said, the site was built on wordpress. It is an affiliate store, so kind of like a ecommerce website but without a checkout.

It is only a MVP so I don't really want a entirely new design, just certain improvements to make the site look a bit more professional.

What kind of information would I need to pass onto the next developer?

Thank you

You will have to just give some examples of site design for portion of your webpage/website for which you want professional design look.

For example:

If you want professional look for your navigation bar then you need to give some navigation design ideas to them or referral sites that matche navigation design as per your expectation.

 

[aaron web designer]

Depends on how much amendments are required, what the theme is, has the current developer installed any premium plugins which he will disable and therefore you may lose some aspects of your website. Is the developer hosting the website? Depending on the type of website it might even be easier and possible cheaper to simply remake the website.

Also, how much SEO work has the developer put into the website?

 

[kev598]

@RSUE2 In order to come up with suggestions to build a website from scratch or to utilize the existing material, you will need to provide code to the next developer ( it can be achieved with code in it, link to bitbucket/Github, test link, WP admin access - if talking about Wordpress or other CMS system. In addition, it is helpful to see the designs and specification document (all your requirements) if any. Hope it was helpful for you!

 

[Dave Tidwell]

The biggest issue I commonly see with websites is that the creation is outsourced; where some 3rd party web savvy person tries to translate the poorly described requirements into something that represents what was wanted.

I say poorly described because most business owners know what they want in their 'minds eye' but don't have the grammar, technical knowledge or requirements 'capture' experience to detail the requirements so that they can be effectively interpreted and implemented. Even basic logo's, colour-schemes and access to suitable 'pictures' is limited and not planned.

So, the safest way out of this, in my own experience, is to have a technical person do the base installation of your preferred CMS, like Joomla or Wordpress and apply or create the theme only. The developer can layout the basic menu's and navigation structure and YOU the business owner puts in the content. This is the only way you'll adequately describe your minds-eye vision. Do it yourself! Nice too if you have a technical resource that can help you with the more challenging layout options, getting your site responsive for mobile devices etc

What usually happens is the unfortunate business owner ends up with a 5 or 6 page deep website with 2 or 3 paragraphs of stock text that never truly represents the business, its values or its differentiators. It's better what was there in the past; but still a long way from what you wanted. Sound familiar?

Safest option of all - learn how to do it by becoming familiar with Wordpress or Joomla Admin and take charge of your dot.com presentation layer yourself.

I know learning how to do it yourself is a challenge. But, hey, its the 21st century and dot.com is where it is!