Website 101 – How do I select the right web development company?
In today’s world, most businesses can not survive without a website. The days of the Yellowbook are over. People are shopping for services more than ever online and the internet allows them to find the best match. About 75 percent of my business comes from people who found me on the Internet.
Many people are intimidated because they know nothing about computers but with the right Web Development Company, you have nothing to worry about. There are Tens of thousands of web development companies in the world, and finding the right match can be overwhelming but it is much easier then you think.
First of all, you need decide if you want to work with a company who is local or you don’t mind working with a company in another state. Most people feel safer working with a local designer so they can meet face to face but with the advent of the Internet, more and more people are hiring companies who they have never met since anyone can access the Internet from wherever they are.
So what do you need to look for in a web development company?
- Does this company have a professional looking website?
Hey if the company doesn’t present themselves in the best way possible why should you expect them to do the same for you.
- What do their client sites look like?
Appearance is everything, as you only have 5 seconds to grab someone’s attention for them to stay on your site. Are there sites grabbing your attention? Appearance is everything, as that’s what gets the attention of the visitor then it’s your content.
- Who are there clients?
Many companies put fake companies on their clients page. In order to make sure they are telling the truth, check out the client websites, and see if there is the company name at the bottom of the website. If the name isn’t there, call the company up and ask.
- What kind of services do they offer? Almost all web development companies say the can do anything you need them to. You can easily see the difference between an established company and a new company based on their portfolio. If a company says they develop ecommerce sites, do they have an ecommerce site in their portfolio to look at?
- Price – In web design, in most cases you get what you pay for? If you want a top notch site you are going to pay more. A lot of people have the notion that they can get a website for $500. There is a huge difference in the quality of a $500 site and a $2000 site. Most times a $500 site is a cookie cutter website where the design is a template used on 100 other sites. You want your site to be different; you want it to be yours. Every business has its own personality and you want your website to reflect that.