There are thousands of web designers out there. How do you know which one is going to be right for your company and which one will help you meet your objectives?

When you look for a web designer on Google it comes up with thousands and thousands of results. Too much information is no information at all. We will show you a quick and easy way how you can select a web design and development company that will satisfy your goals.

Planning

It is important to have a clear idea what role your new or redesigned web site will be like. What information will it provide to your customers? Will it include an online shopping section so that you can sell your products to visitors? A good web designer wants to know the following:
  • The role of your new web site.
  • Your intended market or audience.
  • Your budget.

Research

Get the name of the web design companies that build websites you admire. They may be your competition or in unrelated businesses. Sometimes the web design firm is included in the site credits or is listed elsewhere on the website. If you cannot find the credits on the site itself, feel free to contact the business and ask them which web design firm is responsible.

Make a List

Once you have gathered a list of potential web design firms you are ready to narrow them down to a shortlist.
  • Here are some questions to ask:
  • How consistent they are?
  • Do they have any testimonials that speak about their credibility?
  • Do the projects in the portfolio have a consistent quality?
  • Have they consistently given good results in the given time frame?
  • Has the web design company provided solutions to other companies in your business category?
  • Have they dealt with similar challenges to those faced by your organization?
Remember - a web site doesn't have to be flashy or animated to do its job. Check for organization of information, ease of navigation, overall cleanliness and user-friendliness.

Experience and Fees

This is called the EF of a web design firm. Experience and fees are very much related. The general rule of thumb is the more experienced they are, the more they are going to charge. Don’t compromise for quality just to save a few bucks. In the long run you will end up on a losing side. On the other hand, don’t pay through the nose if you think you can get a better deal with someone else. Here are some more questions to ask:
  • Technology - What is their technological competence? Does it match with your requirements? How frequently is their technology upgraded- both in terms of software and hardware?
  • Deadlines - Has the company carried out the projects in a specified time? Time is one of the most important factors as the longer it takes, the higher the costs get.
  • Responsiveness - How promptly does the company respond to your inquiries? Are they responsive to your suggestions and questions? Do they explain issues in ways you can understand? Do they share your general vision for the site?
  • Communication - Poor communication is one of the major roadblocks for business processes. Ensure that the company who you will be working is comfortable with the language you speak.
  • Services - What services does the company can offer other than designing? What kind of value-added products or services can they bring to the table?

Proposal

Once you have narrowed down your list of top web design firms, ask them to send you a proposal. This will help to determine which web design firm understands your requirements best. Also - ask each web design firm to include a description of their development process and a price breakdown for the various aspects of the project.

Evaluating the Proposal

Evaluate each proposal individually on the basis of merit. Take the following points into consideration:
  • Likeability of the proposal
  • Strength and weaknesses of the proposal.
  • Presentation and format style.

Select the Company

After you have reviewed all proposals, compare them with each other. How do they fare in terms of presentation? How do they appear in terms of project management? Do they present scalability and/or upgrade paths for your project, which go beyond the needs of the immediate goals outlined?
After all of this – it should be easy to pick the web design company that will be just right for you.