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Why do you need a website?
What are you needs?
How do you choose the right company?
Why do you need a website?
Around 70% of Americans are now online. A website is often the first contact a potential costumer will have with your company. In many cases your website may be the only chance you have to make a positive impression and generate the results you want. Your visitors will judge your company based on the look and content of your site.
Some of the advantages of having a professional website:
* Adds to the image of your business.
* Saves phone time by having all relevant information in one place where your clients can get answers to common questions, even before they give you a call.
* Gets your customers informed about your products and services. An educated customer is the best kind of customer.
* Provides an inexpensive advertising resource, either to supplement other advertising you may be doing, or as the only advertising you do.
* Assures 24/7 service...your business is not open 24/7, but your website is.
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What are your needs?
Figuring out what your needs and goals are is an important piece when you have made the decision to have a website designed. It will help both you and the designer along the way. Check all your comptetitors and other companies in similar industries, make a list of features and/or approaches you like and dislike. Pay special atention to the design and functionality of the pages.
Here are some questions a web designer may ask you:
* What are your goals and purpose for this website?
* How big is your site going to be?
* Who are your visitors?
* Are you starting from scratch, or is it an upgrade or redesign?
* Do you have a registered domain name or need a new one?
* Do you have a hosting company to host your site or do you need one?
* Do you have a detailed description of the content and structure of the website?
* What kind of information will you have on your site?
* Do you require any advanced features? (streaming audio or video, database management, security and/or a shopping cart)
* Will your site require ongoing or frecuent updates?
* Will you be making these updates yourself?
* Would you be providing all photographs, audio, video, a site map, etc.?
* What is your project time-frame?
* What is your budget range?
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How do you choose the right company?
Ok, you have realized you need a website. You are now faced with the overwhelming amount of web design companies and pay-per-click ads out there...Like everything else, when shopping for web design, you usually get what you pay for.
Here is a quick list of things to have in mind when you are making your decision:
1.Their Website. If a web design company cannot come up with a great-looking, easy to use website for themselves, something is wrong.
When visiting a web design firm's website...you should be asking yourself the following:
* How easy it is to find what I'm looking looking for?
* Is the site easy to navigate?
* Is the overall design consistent?
* Is there a contact page that can be easily found?
* Do the pages load fast?
* Do they have an online portfolio?
2. Their Portfolio. A web design company is only as good as their portfolio. The promise of quality and service and all the copy that praises their mission, vision and values means nothing if they cannot show you that they have delivered before. Analyze their style and their clients, look for things you like and see if they can be versatile. The ability to design the right website for diferent kinds of customers is key. Keep your Eyes open for cookie-cutter designers and pre-designed templates. You want your site to be unique, and not find the exact same design being used by a competitor a week after you happily launch yours.
3 Their Experience. See if the have been hired by companies, businesses or people you know...Big companies usually do their homework before hiring a web design firm and this normally assures you that they have proven their value.
4. Customer Service. Will you have a project manager? Will your project be designed by only one designer or many? Do they provide phone support? Do they provide Email support? Are they willing to meet you in person? Perhaps the advantage of meeting in person and onsite is a key element in making your decision, perhaps it's not that important.
5. The Design Process. Companies have different ways of approaching the design process. Some of them are really open and let you see and actively participate in the process. Others are more secretive, and you have to wait for the final results to actually "see something"... Make sure you know and understand their process.
6. Legal Protection. No matter what you do, when you hire a company or freelancer to do any kind of work, make sure that all aspects are written down in an detailed agreement that both parts are going to sign. Project details, payment terms, deadlines, copyright issues, and any other details should be included in this agreement. It will actually protect both you and the web design company.
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