How to find a professional web design company

You've put it off long enough! It's time for action! You are finally going to put your business on the Internet! Congratulations, you now have joined the ranks of thousands who have absolutely no idea what to do next! Who do you call? What will it cost? How do you find a company to develop your site for you? Who do you trust? Where do you start?
If this seems overwhelming, you are not alone. However, there are things you can do to minimize risk and to make the process less daunting.
Your first step is selecting several web developers to contact:
- Solicit a referral from someone you trust that has a web site. A recommendation from a friend or associate is the best place to start.
- Ask members of organizations you belong to who they use.
- Call your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and ask for a recommendation. If you use AOL or a large national provider, this approach does not work. However, you can call any local ISP and ask for a referral.
- Search the Internet for web developers in your area.
Contact several companies, ask questions and get quotes. A good developer knows that you are in unfamiliar territory and welcomes your questions.
- Ask for references and call them. Are they happy with their developer? How is the customer service?
- Look at sites the company has designed. Do they look professional? Does everything work on the pages?
- Get several quotes. The range in cost is as varied as there are developers. Cheapest is not always the best. Factor in quality, customer service and experience.
- Make sure you understand all of the costs associated with a web site. Is there a monthly hosting fee? Will they bill you by the hour or give you a fixed quote for the design and development? In order to keep your site interesting you need to change or modify the content frequently. What do they charge?
- Ask about scale-ability. Can you add to your site without having to recreate it? This will allow you to minimize initial investment and grow your site over a period of time if finances are a key factor.
- What is their policy for turn around time on changes and additions? Remember this is your business and you can't always afford to wait weeks for important changes.
- Ask about marketing your site on the Internet. Building it is just the first step. Will they submit it to search engines? Will the pages be designed to give you a good ranking on the search engines?
After gathering information and quotes from several companies, ask yourself:
- Who did I feel most comfortable talking to?
- Which company best fits my needs?
Remember that you are not just hiring a service, you are about to establish a long-term relationship. By asking the right questions you can find a company that will partner with you and make the whole process not only easy but also fun