Too Many Web Designers to Choose From?
With the number of web design firms around getting a website should be easy. Sadly too often the opposite is true. There’s too much choice along with too many differences in services and price.
What to do?
Obviously budget is important but I feel it is far more important to choose a company that can meet your expectations. A company that can understand your business needs and provide a strategy, and develop a solution, that will fulfill those needs. A company that will listen to you and explain concepts in a language you understand. A company that understands a website is about more than looking pretty or ranking #1 in the search engines. A company that understands that those elements are just part of the equation - the site must convert those rankings into sales.
Sure look at prices but also look at how they communicate with you and how confident you are in their ability to provide what they promise. You want to build a relationship with your web designer that brings you both success. Focus on that when you’re reviewing proposals and it should help guide you to the right company.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Spot on, Sophie. In general you get what you pay for. What’s important in building an effective website that delivers on the company goals is to have a good team relationship between the company managers and the web designer. You highlight this and I agree that’s the priority. Of course you should only look at competent web designers but what counts is the people chemistry.
April 7th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Usually skills comes with a price, you hardly could get a talented web designer with a low budget.
April 7th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Welcome Feisty Sites! I agree but sadly prospects do not always get this. Prices quotes by web designers can vary enormously too - and it’s not necessarily comparable to expertise.
The point was more regardless of your budget pick the designer you feel can most help you build a successful website and form an ongoing relationship with. It doesn’t matter if you pay $5000 or 5 times that if what you end up with doesn’t work.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Well chosen and topical subject as always Sophie
IMHO the long term relationship is a rather important aspect for any one thinking of a business website, this is compounded more if they are naive first timers.
Once someone has hit a few snags and has found their developer/designer suddenly is not much use is indeed a rude awakening, large amounts of money can only get you so far and in the long run does not always buy success.
Marketing, SEO, brand building and all that fun stuff (without all the gimicks) to drive sales is really the key to a happy online life and having a willing partner in your developer/designer just cannot be beat.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:27 am
I could not have put it better myself Michael. You’re spot on!