Once you’ve decided that your business requires a presence on the web there are many things you need to take into account when selecting a web provider. Before you do a Google search and pick the first paid listing with the cheapest advertised price, give some thought to what you are getting for your money and what your specific requirements are.
The business objective
The very first thing to do is work out why you want a website – what is the business purpose. Is it to sell products, is it to advertise services or is it just because your clients have asked you why you don’t have one? The reason itself isn’t so important but it will dictate what site you need.
If you want to sell products and services online you might need an eCommerce site. However if you also want it to showcase other services and provide information about your company in a clean, professional and seamless manner you might need a website with eCommerce functionality as opposed to an online shopping website.
Either way work out what you need first and when you get to the point of talking with providers, the will help you understand what site is for you.
Content Management
Will you regularly change the website content and do you want to do this yourself? If you run a business and this is your main company website the answer should be YES to both. You will need a site that utilises a Content Management System (CMS). However there is a lot to consider in a CMS. Is it a proprietary CMS built by your web developer? If so they may try to lock you into ongoing contracts either directly or indirectly by using technology that isn’t easily transferable to another provider. If you are concerned about this, insist on an open source and freely available CMS that you can easily transfer to another provider should you need to.
Site Features
The specific features will come from your main business objective and your web developer can provide you with some ideas however you might already have your own ideas. Do you want the site to be searchable? Do you want some content to be secured behind a username / password login system? Do you want a discussion forum or a job board? Document these things now so when you talk to the providers you can sound them out as to whether they can provide these things in their cost.
Site Marketing
Consider early how you are going to get people to the site. If search engine performance is important, you need to be looking at providers who specialist in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) or SEM (Search Engine Marketing).
Start Searching
Once you have everything written down, its time to start searching for potential web providers.
You can start with Google. If you want only providers in your area search for your specific area, for example Web Design Gold Coast. Then click on the local listings. If the location is not important to you just search for the generic term web design. However there are a few things to consider about Google results. Firstly you can make some assumption about the sites that come up on the front page. They are probably a relatively large company. They have probably invested heavily in SEO. They have probably been around for a long time and they are probably getting a huge amount of traffic through free advertising and their rates reflect this.
For this reason, consider narrowing down your search by searching the local listing or looking past the first few pages. Alternatively consider the paid listings on the right which web developers have paid to show up in order to compete with the bigger firms. Bigger is not always better and quite often you will get a more personable service from a smaller local provider.
Flick through 10-15 web designers sites and make a preliminary decision on how well you think they will meet your needs. Do they have any information on the design process they follow? Do they have set timeframes for standard websites? Do they have customer friendly policies? Take the time to look at their portfolio. Read the testimonials from previous clients. Take note of the advertised costs but don’t pay too much attention to them at this stage – there may be hidden costs and you won’t be comparing apples with apples if you compare advertised prices – we will be getting quotes later.
Draw up a shortlist
Based on your searches above draw up a shortlist of potential developers – 3 is ideal you don’t want to waste your own time or the time of the potential developers. Based on your shortlist give them a call to discuss your needs. You will get a feel from the initial conversation how organised they are, how professional they are, how keen they are for the work. Make a time with them to discuss your requirements and obtain a quote.
Request Quotes
Quoting is very standard in professional web design firms. Insist on a fixed price quotation based on your specific requirements. Some providers will give you a fairly simple quote which can end up costing you more in the long wrong with extras etc. So be sure to ask for a comprehensive quote which includes all the things you’ve decided you need as well as any ongoing or hidden costs. Make sure the quote identifies the circumstances under which the provider may vary from the quote (project assumptions) and also an hourly rate for any non-project work.
If you have a timeframe you need to meet make sure this is in your requirements and identified in the quote.
Compare Service Offerings
Its far better to have all of your online needs met in the one place, so be sure to ask your shortlisted providers what other services they offer. Are they a full service provider? Do they offer web hosting and ongoing support after your website is launched? Do they offer web marketing and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?
References and Testimonials
Good providers will provide testimonials from past projects and a list of references. These are the best way to get a feel for what the provider is like to work for.
Appoint your web designer!
Consider all of this information along with the proposals and you will have a good feel for who is the best web designer for you. Once you are happy with the quote and references from your chosen web provider, it is time to sign on the dotted line.
Written by Dan Norris, Director of Gold Coast Web Design agency Web Circle on 17 September 2008.
