“A man’s mistakes are his portals of discovery.”

What does the above quote convey? To have a portal, you have to make mistakes. Isn’t it fun? Not at all. It may be a motivational phrase, but in business it can become doomsday for small start-ups with few investments. This article has been made especially for small businesses who want to succeed in their respective fields and are planning to launch their website or are looking for a facelift or are adding new functionality to their existing site or are not sure about their design requirements.

Choosing a web design company

With a multitude of web designers and developers, from freelancers to agencies to online templates, how do you know which one is the right fit for your business, and more importantly, your goals and objectives? Choosing a web design company is not a serious job. Aim choosing a good web design company it’s a really serious challenge. People say that the Internet has made business processes simple and global, but what about the complexities that the Internet offers, which are unique? Just search the term “Good web design company” in Google and you will get millions of results. For a normal human being, it is impossible to search through all the results. We will go through the entire process of selecting a Web Design and Development company in a structured way.

STEP 1 – Schedule

The first step is to define your needs. While searching for the right web designer, it’s important to have a clear idea of ​​what role your new or redesigned website will play. Will you provide information to your customers? Will it serve the needs of your employees? Or will it include an online shopping section so you can sell your products to visitors? Most web designers will need to know the following:

o The function of your new website.

o The target market or audience of your website.

or your budget.

Take the time to consider what you expect from your website and the type of information you want to communicate to your potential customers before you approach your designer. This will save you and the designer a considerable amount of time and effort.

STEP 2 – Search and create a master list

Searching is a vigorous process and does not require any special skills other than diligence to get good results that meet your requirements. Just browse directories, check Google listings on specific keyword searches, and ask for referrals from your friends or business associates. It does not have to be a very extensive research paper.

Remission: Ask business acquaintances, friends and family which web design company designed the website for their respective organizations, or if they can recommend a web design company.

Websites: Determine the web design company responsible for the websites of the organizations you admire. These organizations may be your competitors, or in related or unrelated industries. Sometimes the web design company is listed in the site credits or appears elsewhere on the website. If you can’t find the credits on the site itself, feel free to contact the organization and ask which web design company is responsible for the website. This can also be a good source of referrals for that web design company.

STEP 3 – Evaluation and pre-selection

Once you’ve put together a list of potential web design companies, you’re ready to narrow them down to a short list. This requires a bit of investigative work.

Oh briefcase – It is about the three C’s: Credibility, Consistency and Capability. How consistent are they? What are the parameters in which the company is capable enough to meet your requirements? Are there testimonials that speak of your credibility? Are the projects in the portfolio of consistent quality? Have they consistently delivered good results in the given time frame? Has the web design company provided solutions to other companies in your industry? Have they faced challenges similar to those your organization faces? Here are some important factors to consider. When you’ve narrowed your search down to a few design sources (through recommendations, web directories, or your competitors’ sites), evaluate their online portfolios and fee structure. A website doesn’t have to be flashy or lively to do its job. Explore the sites they have created, check for ease of navigation, organization of information, general cleanliness, and ease of use for visitors. Also, consider hiring a company that demonstrates some familiarity with your type of business. Simply review the success stories/case studies that have been made available on their website and double check credentials through references if possible.

Oh Experience and rates – This is called the EF of the web design company. Experience and fees are highly interrelated. The general rule is the more experience you have, the more you get paid. This interesting story can tell you what the experience is all about.

Once upon a time there was a steam generating plant that did not produce much steam. After a frustrating search for the cause, the desperate plant manager called in an expert. After just two hours on site, the expert found the problem and put an “X” on two pipes that were causing the problem, saying they needed to be removed. When presented with the invoice, the plant manager asked the consultant how he could charge $5,000.00 for only two hours of work. When he asked for an itemized bill, this is what he got:

1. $400.00 – Placing “X” in two tubes.

2. $4,600.00 – Know where to put the “X’s”.

The plant manager got what he paid for and probably a lot more. He had already spent more than that amount on his own staff, not to mention the loss of income while the plant was closed. For him, having the advisory services of a consultant was the right thing to do.

It matters a lot if the company has good experience in various business domains and has professionals and specialists from various backgrounds. As such, they will understand the different business verticals that can be a plus point for your website. Another important factor is the budget. What you pay is what you get – WYPIWYG. Never compromise on the quality of your website just to save a few quick bucks. In the long run you will end up on the losing side. Have you ever wondered why American diamonds cost less than real diamonds when it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between the two? It is obvious: the brilliance and hardness of the diamond. This makes another interesting point, you can get a facelift for your website for less cost, but it will lack functionality and effectiveness. You can attract visitors but you can’t convert them into business. So when you pay for something, you definitely get a good deal in return.

Oh Technology – What is your technological competence? Does this match your requirement? How many projects have you worked on using the same one? How often is your technology updated, both in terms of software and hardware?

Oh deadlines – Has the company carried out the projects in the stipulated time? Time is one of the most important factors, since the later, the higher the costs of inputs. Some companies may offer you a shorter time frame and may be ready with the design. But after that the long and torrid journey of finding and fixing bugs that can put off your visitors begins.

Oh Sensitivity – How quickly does the company respond to your inquiries? Do you listen to your questions? Do they respond to my suggestions and questions? Do they explain the problems in a way that you can understand? Do they share your overview of the site? Are they interested in the return on investment for the website? Do they have the necessary skills to achieve their goals?

Oh Communication process – Poor communication is one of the main bottlenecks for business processes. Make sure the company you work with is comfortable with your language. Generally, English (US/UK) is taken as the preferred language to communicate with each other. What are the tools and technologies they use to communicate? How will they keep you up to date with developments regarding your project? These are some of the important factors that need to be considered when deciding on the communication process when choosing a web design partner.

Oh Services – What are the other services that the company can offer apart from design? What kind of value-added products or services can the design firm offer?

All of these points will help you narrow down the list of companies that can offer you viable solutions and help your cause. The next step is to invite proposals from the shortlisted parties. Just check all the cross references that you think are justifiable or that satisfy your curiosity. The more time you invest in this phase, the better the later benefits will be.

STEP 4- Proposals

Once you’ve selected your short list of top web development companies, ask them to send you a proposal. Request that your proposal include an overview of your requirements and the proposed solution. This will help determine which web design company best understands your requirements. Also request that each web design company include a description of their development process and a pricing breakdown for the various aspects of the website project.

STEP 5 – Evaluation of proposals

Evaluate each proposal individually on the basis of merit. Consider the following points:

a) Welfare of the proposal.

b) Respective strengths and weaknesses of the companies.

c) Evaluate the style of presentation and format.

STEP 6 – Selection of the Company

After your organization has reviewed all the proposals, compare them against each other. How are you doing in terms of presentation? How do your processes appear in terms of project management? Do you present scalability and/or update paths for your project that go beyond the needs of the immediate objectives outlined?

After going through the entire process above, you should be able to zero in on a particular company. If doubt remains, establish a communication process between prospective companies to understand their process and commitments.

[NOTE: Avoid selecting an individual designer, on a freelance basis, to design and develop your organization’s Web site. It is rare to find a single person capable of handling the combined visual and technical elements that make an effective Web presence. Additionally, by depending on an individual, your organization is at risk of losing its investment should anything occur to that one individual – or down the road they simply can’t find time to help when you need it.]