Web Designers and Your IT Department: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Small companies may have a small IT staff, maybe even just one person. They may also outsource IT support to a third party. Large companies will usually have an in-house IT department, itself also quite large.

Either way, your web design company will have to work with IT to integrate your new website with your company’s existing systems and infrastructure. IT staff must be brought to the table from the very beginning to work with the designers and identify any trouble spots. They must also be prepared to provide all the necessary access, information and support for the site to be developed.

Hosting

Your beta site (the version that is in the process of being developed) will need to be hosted somewhere, as will the final site. Your company may maintain its own internal web server, or you may be paying for hosting externally. Your web designer will need access to these web servers, and your IT staff should be ready to assist them.

Database Integration

Your site may require integration with databases. For example, if your new site employs a content management system, you have an ecommerce component, or you do any email marketing with a sign-up through the website, your site relies on accessing those databases to do its job. This is another crucial area for a close working relationship between your web design shop and your IT staff. IT acts as the gatekeeper to these databases, and your designer and developer will need to be able to make the site “talk” with the databases.

Security

The security issue relates to the two components described above. Your IT staff works hard to make sure your web server, databases, and internet connection points remain free from hacking and other intrusions. In order to do their work, your web design team will require a fairly high level of access to these servers. This access may require the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or other security protocol. Your IT staff will make sure the web designers are outfitted with the proper access to maintain security.