Description: This blog post describes the importance of communication when working with web developers, how to communicate even if you aren’t technically savvy, and provides tips on how to get through the conversation.
Introduction to communicating with a web developer.
To start, communication in any workplace is essential to the way a company operates and develops. Communication is deeper than talking, a simple example of that would be nonverbal communication which involves gestures, facial expressions, body language, etc. In addition, communication isn’t all about what you, as the individual, is saying/doing, active listening is a form of communication where you aren’t necessarily talking either and the focus is more on the individual you’re talking to.
All these forms of communication can impact the type of connection you make with another, while specifically to the workplace and similar environments, it would impact the way you work, how you feel about working, and the results produced. Having good communication can lead to boosting employee morale, engagement, productivity, satisfaction, while being key to having good team collaboration and producing better results for the workplace as an individual, team, and the overall company/organization according to BetterUp.
The importance of communicating with a web developer.
Now, you see how communication is important in the workplace, but now let’s make it even more specific. If you’re someone who isn’t tech savvy, meaning someone who doesn’t have a lot of knowledge when it comes to operating and understanding modern technology, communication with a tech savvy individual as a client and contractor can be difficult. There may be things you don’t know how to describe, or you may want certain things that aren’t beneficial for your company/project. In plenty of cases, a web developer disagrees with a client’s demands due to reasons that they may not understand. This gap can lead to problems without effective communication. So, how do you avoid these problems besides becoming tech-savvy?
How to communicate with a web developer
1. Be Attentive
When working with a web developer, try and pay attention to everything going on. If terms are brought up that you don’t understand, ask. If the web developer has a differing opinion, ask why they have that opinion. Being unaware isn’t a completely bad thing in this case, it’s an opportunity to learn and develop an understanding of the field. By the end, you could have a whole new understanding of the web development industry, and you’ll have picked up on many techniques that didn’t make sense to you in the beginning. That not only helps you as an individual, but also the web developer. If you start understanding things, communication with them becomes easier and a more personalized connection is made.
2. Have a plan!
Before even reaching out to a web developer, try and have an idea of the web industry standards and current trends (Speaking of trends, check out my article talking about the website color trends for 2024). This doesn’t mean becoming a “techie”, it just means having some type of basic understanding of what you want and what comes with it. That way, when you begin discussing with a developer, you may understand why they want to do certain things that you may have disagreed with if you didn’t know the reasons. A lot of the time, a client will want something for design, while not understanding its negative impact on the more important parts of the site such as SEO and the traffic it attracts.
Along with this plan, could be detailed forms of preparation. For example, having a project description, knowing what you need, writing down a budget, estimating a timeline, selecting a target audience/user, specifying the purpose and goal of your project are all things that could save time and show you understand what you’re looking for. Also, your web developer would be grateful that you’re so prepared, so they don’t have to spend as much time figuring out what you want before starting the process.
Conclusion
To conclude, getting a basic understanding of web development (not coding itself, but the practices, standards, and trends), being prepared, and being attentive will all add to your communication with a web developer. By following these tips you’ll be able to save time in the entire process (time saves money in these cases too), learn about web development (beneficial if needed in the future, which is likely to happen), and have a better relationship with the person you’re working with which’ll make the process even better. People support and work with others that they like, and having a mutual connection like this will make it easier to work together again if needed.