User Guides > Choosing a Web Design Company
Most website development firms offer a free initial consultation to discuss your site. Before deciding to work with any particular company you should consider the following points:
What services do they offer?
You can usually save money and hassle if you have one company that can look after all your website and IT related issues. Ameris have the breadth of expertise necessary to do just that.
Do they have the right staff?
Success in e-business requires a variety of skills. Make sure the company you select has team members with expertise in graphics, database design & development, web development, e-commerce, project management, marketing, and overall general business knowledge.
Do they have an office?
Is this office staffed during normal business hours?
Do you like their work?
Look at a selection of the sites that the company has developed. If you like the sites they have developed in the past you will probably like what they do for you. Have they built sites for people in a similar line of business to yours? If so they could be especially useful to you.
Do they have a good reputation?
What do their previous clients think about them. Ask for references and follow them up.
Do they work to a contract?
Make sure you have a contract. This protects you and helps ensure the success of your project. Project scope should be clearly defined along with target delivery times, any special hardware requirements and any travel and training time. Pay special attention to the length of the contract. Be careful about signing a contract that ties you to a firm for longer than one year. The Internet is changing fast, your needs may change quickly too.
Can they communicate in language you understand?
Make sure they are willing to work with your company at your level. You may be new to the world of the Internet and need a lot of hand-holding during the development of the site. Alternatively, you may just want them to get on with it and let you know when it's done. Make sure they can work with your business, whichever end of the spectrum you are on.
Do they have marketing expertise?
Experience in marketing on the Internet is important. Knowledge of search engine positioning techniques and email marketing is necessary to get your site launched properly.
Will your site be properly tested?
Will your site be tested on a variety of platforms and browsers with different users? A site that does not work on some systems is not a good advert for your company.
Can they provide adequate training?
Most IT and web projects require one or more people in your company to be trained. The training might involve fairly simple tasks or could be quite complex. Make sure they can deliver adequate training for your staff.
What support and maintenance is provided?
How do they handle support calls? Do they charge for support? How responsive are they? Your site will always require updates and amendments. Check the company's procedure for carrying out your maintenance requests. How long does it take? Do they offer support and maintenance packages that will help you reduce your costs?
