Are you in the process of trying to find a website design
company to help with your website design needs? Whether you're building
your first Web site, redesigning an existing site, or enhancing your
Web site to start selling online, we have some tips for you before you
begin looking. First we must ask a few questions?
1. Can your website work be completed remotely?
2. Can you communicate efficiently over the phone or through email?
3. Is your website hosted remotely or locally?
If the work can be completed remotely and you can communicate
over the phone or email then your choices for a website design company
are very wide. You will have hundreds of companies to choose from, which
in itself can be overwhelming. If you need to communicate in person
or if you need a professional to work on site, then your choices will
be somewhat limited to your local area. Unless of course you agree to
pay for traveling fees.
So you ask, "What should I look for in a web site
company?" Here are questions you should have answers to.
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Make sure the company has a good website
of their own. |
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Make sure the company has a good online portfolio
of other projects they have completed. |
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When contacting the company if they do not respond
in 1 business day, be wary. |
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Make sure the company prepares a detailed proposal
of all work they will provide you. |
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The proposal should contain every aspect of the
job, the timeframe for completion and cost. |
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The proposal should also require you to sign it
as well as the company. |
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Most companies require a down payment. If a professional
doesn't require a down payment, this sometimes means they will not
stick around for the entire project. |
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Make sure the company has some kind of guarantee
on work and if they can't deliver the work then you will be owed
a refund. |
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Cheap website design is not always good website
design. Watch out for companies that say they will build you a website
for a few hundred dollars. Before you know it, your design not only
ends up looking like what you paid for it, but also is not expertly
developed and optimized to market your site well. Unless you already
have either a recommended design company or one you've worked with
in the past that you're happy with, get several proposals and compare
them. This will help you determine an accurate price. |
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Make sure you know where the company is located.
A lot of offshore companies present themselves as U.S. companies
but in actuality the programmers are located in another country.
This is fine for some people but others complain that it is very
hard to communicate and the response time is very slow. |
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Does this company have a team of developers, designers,
project manager and art director? Not that you can't have a single
designer that can do a good job, but the more established companies
will have specialists in each field which will collaborate to develop
a more professional package. |
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What do you need? Will you need to update your
website on a regular basis which will then require a database? Will
you be selling products where you will need to apply for a merchant
account and website security? A good web design company will keep
your best interests in mind. They will look ahead and anticipate
site components that you may require in the future. But then also
not give you what you don't need. Ask a lot of questions. And a
good web design company should also ask you multiple questions and
take many notes. |
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Ask if you can contact any of their current clients
for a reference. If they say no then this raises a red flag. Ask
for at least 5 clients as references. |