Web Resources > Developing Your Web Site > Contracting Out Web Design

Click here to find a Web Designer. If you are unfamiliar with the technology behind websites and have little time to spend learning how to design a website, paying a third party company to do it for you is probably the best option. With literally thousands of web design companies to choose from, you can rest assured that you can get the best website built for the best price! However, picking the right web designer can be challenging.

Most importantly, know what you want your website to accomplish before you begin the search for a design company. Just like purchasing a car, it is best to know what you want to buy before you begin haggling with dealerships. The price of designing a website varies greatly depending upon the features and functions you choose to include.

As you decide which web designer is right for you, consider the following carefully:

Experience

You need someone who has been through the entire web design process many times. Web design firms that have been around have developed processes and procedures to streamline the web design process, allowing you to save money and get the finished product that you wanted. In any profession there is no substitute for experience. Make sure the web designer or web design firm you have hired has the experience to do the job. Ask the designer: How many years have you been in business? How many customers have you served?

Company Office

Many if not most of the "so called" web design companies on the Internet are little more than one guy or gal in his or her house (and yes, usually the basement). The presence of an actual physical office indicates that the company has made an investment in their future and is not going to vanish in six months. If you are going to chose a design company to help you build a website that your business will rely upon, longevity of the company itself is important.

References and Portfolio

A company that will not show you past web design projects, or will not let you talk to past web design customers has either not been around long, or has something to hide. Most reputable web design companies will provide you with a portfolio of their work and client contacts. Check out their past work. Many web designers will use a similar look and feel throughout all of their sites. If you do not like a designer's past work, you will probably not like what they will do for you. If you like what you see in a designer's portfolio, call some of their clients. Ask them what they think. Ask open-ended questions such as:

• What do think of their company?
• Did you get your money's worth?
  
• Why did you pick them ? (This is an important question. The answer may be "The owner is my brother.")

Price

As with many services, you truly get what you pay for. Although extremely important, consider price last. Pick your top five designers and then narrow them down by price. Some designers offer a variable priced model while others offer a fixed price model. A variable priced model may be based on straight time and materials (although rarely would materials be required) or a unit based model. A "unit" could be a page, a picture, an animated segment, etc. With a variable priced model, you bear the burden of managing the total cost. Many web designers offer a fixed price after they have understood the requirements of your site. In a fixed priced model, the designer bears the risk of controlling cost. If you have the time, energy, and desire to manage the time your designer spends on your website, a variable priced model may be right for you. If you would rather focus on getting the right site for your business and let the design manage the details, a fixed price deal is probably optimal.

Schedule

Do you have a deadline for you website? Do you need it up an going by a certain date? If so, ask the designer if they can make the date? Ask them if they are willing to incur a penalty if they miss the date (for example, 10% of fees are lost due to a missed deadline).

Relationship

One of the most important considerations when picking a web designer is the relationship that you develop. Does the designer take a genuine interest in trying to understand your business first, and your web requirements after? If you're going to build a business around a web site, your designer should seek to first understand your business model. Is the person you interact with friendly, flexible, and considerate? If your website will take some time to develop, it helps to have a positive rapport with the designer.

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