If your not an internet expert then choosing the most web site developer for your site can be hit and miss. The following article contains tips to make sure you choose wisely and end up with a site that meets your needs and is good value for money.
A detailed brief is the only way to establish a level playing field and getting a number of like-for-like quotations from web developers making it much easier to compare. If you are unsure where to start with a brief and the size and complexity of your web project warrants this, you may want to consider approaching one of the companies you are inviting to tender to write a brief for you. You should pay for this otherwise they may be less thorough and you might feel obliged to give them the work.
You may think that keeping your budget under your hat is a shrewd way to securing the best price, but you are likely to get more for your money if you state your budget in the first place. It also has the advantage of making it easier to evaluate which quotation is giving you the most for your money.
Experience of producing web sites in your business sector can reduce the suppliers learning curve to understand your business, however, you may be more likely to get a similar solution to others with less original thought. If you like their work this may be ideal and more cost effective! Don't think that another supplier new to your market will not also produce an excellent solution and designers fresh to your business may add significant value with innovative ideas.
In any business relationship being able to get on with those you work with is crucial and being able to ‘get on’ with your supplier, will certainly facilitate open and clear communications.
Not all web design companies are the same so it's worth defining your needs at the outset. Most web agencies fall into the following categories:
It does of course depend on your requirements as to which supplier is most suitable. As a rule a mixture of skills in all areas will be able to provide effective solutions to most requirements.
A pretty site with sexy intro screens and animated navigational systems is unlikely to add as much value to your web site when compared with other more business led solutions. We're certainly not against Flash content when used appropriately, but it is so often abused by designers more interested in winning awards than making you money! Don't forget £15 million is lost each year to usability issues; make sure your site isn't one of them!
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