Branch Out Development
Calgary T2X0G3

Did you know the fist bump is the unspoken secret handshake for Branch Out? Well, now you do. To round out the topic of building a website we're going to discuss using a software development company, like us! So let's get to it....... Cost: - (so many things impact this price) Difficulty: (almost zero) The Good: Endless possibilities. Want to make a store? Done. Scheduling portal? No problem. Something new that doesn't exist? Let's get'r done. With custom development your imagination is the only limit. You can even integrate other software to build a robust application that does whatever you want. The Bad: So you want all the functionality in the world? Absolutely, but it's going to cost you. The more custom functionality you add the more your price tag is going to increase. If you're looking for something simple this might not be the best route (unless you use them to help/consult with one of the other processes, like building your own). The Ugly: Some of the other scenarios would apply here as well, like not providing enough scope for the project. The biggest thing we've noticed is many custom shops only work on larger projects - think $100K+ (that's this many dollar signs ). We'll do a summary of your options in the next post and then we'll be moving onto a different subject. Got something you're interested in learning more about? Slide into our DM's or drop a comment below #yyctech #tech #softwaredevelopment #branchoutdev #techtips #yyc #newsoftware #websitedesign #newwebsite

Here's an arbitrary photo of penguins! Now that we have that out of the way, let's move to the next part of the building a website series. So, you don't have time to build your own, and don't want to work with a marketing agency because it might be too expensive?... Well, let's discuss hiring someone from the gig economy like Fiverr or UpWork. Cost: Difficulty: (almost zero) The Good: If you're on a budget and have an idea of what you want this can be a great route to go. Depending on your goals (is it a store? simple landing page? contact form?) you could spend under a hundred or up to a couple hundred. Our experience with these types of programs for things out of our wheelhouse (logo design for instance) have been mostly positive. The Bad: There's a certain amount of caution that you should use when going this route, keeping in mind that quite often you get what you pay for. Be diligent in knowing what you want for design and functionality, finding someone that aligns with that, and then reading the reviews. If you don't give a detailed scope (read this as define the work being done) you can end up with something that doesn't work for your needs or isn't the right design. The Ugly: There's two areas where you can run into trouble here. 1) Not detailing the scope enough - as we mentioned above you need to know what you want. If you go out and say build me a website that has some pages and content but actually need something with a map and a store you're not going to be happy. Before searching for someone to do the work figure out what you need first. 2) Maintenance - you might see a bit of an ongoing trend here with maintaining your site. Keep in mind that if you have a website that you want to add to/update/could break if there's updates to the browser that won't likely be included so budget for updates. #yyctech #tech #softwaredevelopment #branchoutdev #techtips #yyc #newsoftware #websitedesign #newwebsite

Don't want to be covered in metaphorical paint? For many people there's either a level of frustration or time commitment that prevents them from building their own website. That's totally fine! That's why professionals exist.... Today we'll touch on hiring a marketing agency to get your website off the ground. So... Let's go.... Cost: Difficulty: (almost zero) The Good: Marketing agencies usually have a great handle on key parts of building a website: design, usability, and SEO (search engine optimization). This ensures your website is beautiful, it's easy to navigate, and the SEO drives the right people there. Along with that having professionally written content on your site typically presents more consistent conversion for what you're looking for such as calls, appointments, or sales. So long as the communication is good you're likely going to get good value for your money. The Bad: There's an element of control that could be lost depending on who you're working with. One company we worked with redesigned a website and said not to touch anything without asking first, for SEO reasons. Which is understandable as they're the experts but depending on the velocity of your business could be frustrating. Along with this is the fact that no one will care about your business as much as YOU will. The Ugly: One marketing agency we knew would absolutely price gouge. They listened to the wants/needs of their customers' but their #1 goal was to generate recurring revenue, despite the best interest of the client. This isn't the norm for the industry but you do need to do your diligence by reading reviews, talking to referrals, and understanding how the company operates/aligns with your goals. There's more to be said but we'll do a summation post at the end of this series. #yyctech #tech #softwaredevelopment #branchoutdev #techtips #yyc #newsoftware #websitedesign #newwebsite

So you're going to build your own website.... In the past month we've worked with a couple clients on WordPress. It's a great platform for the DIY side of things. That being said the fact that they needed help does pose the question of - How easy is it? Here's our thoughts on using a site builder...... Cost: (could be with tons of plugins/expensive themes) Difficulty: (it varies depending on what you want to do) The Good: Fairly simple to figure out the basic stuff like layout, colours, pictures. Lots of information on forums from either the vendor or from other users. Tons of plugins available for customization or additional functionality. Themes are available (free or for purchase) that are already pre-done so you essentially only need to add your content, logo, colour palette, and you're good to go. The Bad: There's some additional things to consider such as hosting and domain registration. To make things simple you can host your site with whatever tool you're using and with some that included. Sometimes the plugins/themes don't work the way you want them to or there are conflicts that cause errors that can be difficult to fix. Also there's soo many plugins that it can be difficult to pick one that works for you and has all the features and isn't a boatload of money. Lastly you need to build AND maintain your website so that it's functional which can be a pain if things change. Which brings us to... The Ugly: If you don't maintain the updates it can be extremely expensive to update and fix your site. We worked with one client who hadn't touch their site for 5 years and wanted a security scan and a bit of a refresh. We told them it would cost a couple hundred but realized because of an update it was actually going to cost them $1,500. Just to get a working site and a couple words added!! #yyctech #tech #softwaredevelopment #branchoutdev #techtips #yyc #newsoftware #websitedesign #newwebsite

Looking for a new website for your business? Good news! You have options. So. Many. Options.... Maybe too many options? We can build you one. A marketing agency can build you one. Someone on Fiverr/Upwork can build you one. You can build your own. So what route do you go? Well, we're going to do a breakdown of each of these options with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Watch for our next post where we'll start with building your own... Also, we're fairly certain that they are NOT building a website in the photo. We were lied to. We passed that lie on to you. We're sorry (no we're not). #yyctech #tech #softwaredevelopment #branchoutdev #techtips #yyc #newsoftware #websitedesign #newwebsite