So you suddenly find that your new website isn’t behaving how you want it to. Something is glitching and panic sets in, this is costing time and customers. Your first port of call is obviously the person who designed the website. This is when you hear that bug fixing isn’t part of their job and your new website goes from being a flagship to a sinking ship. You find yourself asking do developers fix bugs?
This is where I come in, hello it’s me, your friendly website developer and bug fixer. The simple answer to “do developers fix bugs” is yes. Part of my work as a website developer is to fix bugs and debug other people’s work. The longer, more complex answer is that some developers do not price for bug fixing or expect to bug fix their work after the job is done. This can lead to their clients being stuck with websites that have glitches or don’t work at all.
This might start to sound like a minefield to navigate but there are a couple of things to look for when it comes to bug fixing. It is important to make sure your developer is working with you when things go wrong. So here are my top three steps to take when discussing bug fixing.
Whilst bug fixing should be run of the mill for most developers, we all know someone who has been burned by a developer who doesn’t bug fix. The initial conversations you have with your developer is an important step to make sure that bug fixing is included. Make sure you ask if bug fixing is included in the price and if not discuss the steps you will both take if things go wrong.
If you read last month’s blog about What To Do When Your Developer Refuses To Fix Defects you will remember me talking about the need to document everything. This is a really good time to see what kind of developer you are working with – most will be honest and open about bug fixing; if someone is reticent to answer or gives confused answers that can be a red flag. Look for clear, easy to follow communication, with firm boundaries, deadlines and goals.
Once you have clear guidelines on bug fixing with your developer, the next step comes when you find a bug. The website isn’t working and you need it fixed fast. Whilst “the website doesn’t work” is useful information to have, the more detailed the report you can give your developer the better. Detail how it doesn’t work, for example:
Being able to give details enables developers to work quickly to fix the bug before it becomes a long term problem. This saves the developer time in their work and supports you to get your website working at full speed again.
The final step is what to do when your developer doesn’t fix bugs. Then it is time to bring in a professional bug fixing service. These are people like me, we work with other people’s code to fix bugs quickly and efficiently. When you contact me with a bug we will talk through what you need. Having gone through the information you gathered during step two, I can start to work on what the problem is and report how the website is broken and the fix needed. When looking for a bug fixing service, make sure to again discuss needs and expectations. I make sure to look at the root cause of the problem, then test and document the issues, making sure that problems are solved rather than just patched.
Bug fixing is a necessary part of running a website. With these three simple steps you can make sure your website is maintained, supported and kept running.
If you want to discuss building a website from scratch or bug fixing an existing website, I’d love to hear from you. Contact me here.