2Tips for Choosing A Web Design Company

Choosing a website designer can be a frightening endeavor. Where does one begin? What should a person watch out for? What are the significant differences between web developers? The following list offers practical advice on choosing a good web developer.

1. Remember that good design is important
Studies have shown that web users judge websites within a small fraction of a second. If your website has a poor design, difficult navigation, or even loads too slowly, you have instantly created a negative impression on your users. This impression is difficult to shake and reflects poorly on your entire brand. Good design and aesthetics, although subjective, are nevertheless very important. Are you a good judge of aesthetics? If not, bring in someone who is and can help you through this process.

2. Avoid cookie-cutter/template built websites
Many web companies create their sites from pre-made or canned templates. These templates may also be used by any number of other companies—perhaps even your direct competitors. It’s always best to have a unique design tailor-made for your organization.
Also, find a designer who will put forth the effort to design each page individually according to the needs of the content. It takes more time, but it’s well worth it, and the results speak for themselves. Unfortunately, most web developers create only a few templates and then fill them with content without any regard for the presentation of that particular content. This approach makes every page look nearly identical and boring. It turns users away and ultimately means your message is not received.

3. Consider the designer’s portfolio
When comparing multiple web design firms, take a look through their online portfolios and ask the following questions:
Does the designer have a single style or are the sites varied in style/feel? A varied portfolio is usually better, but it’s okay if they’re all of the same genre—as long as that genre is what you’re after. But if you want a clean, minimalist look and all the sites in the portfolio are grunge style, you might be in trouble with that designer.

Are the sites of high quality?
Chances are your site will never look better than the best site in the designer’s portfolio. Remember, these are his or her best sites.

Are the sites of consistent quality?
…or are some good and some not-so-good?

Are the sites actually in use?
…or are they imaginary projects the designer made up herself?

Are the sites easy to navigate? Is the content organized in a logical, easy-to-understand manner?

4. Remember you get what you pay for
While it’s true that websites can be had for only a few hundred dollars, good websites cannot. Good websites are expensive. Reputable web developers charge anywhere from R450 to R950 an hour for their labor, and it takes more than just a couple hours to build a complete website.To get a sense of perspective: quality websites for small businesses can be had for anywhere from R15,000 to R50,000. Medium-sized companies and organizations can expect to pay anywhere from R60,000 to R150,000 or more. Large businesses can end up spending R250,000 or more. If you find a website for R1,500, remember that there’s a reason it’s only R1,500

5. Consider the total cost spread out over a number of years
Many web design firms use a bait-and-switch method for getting new customers. They promise a complete website starting at just R2500, but then charge exorbitant and hidden fees for every little additional feature and lock the user into perpetual annual fees. These types of arrangements are often more expensive over the long haul than simply paying a project rate up front.

6. Be aware that hosting should not cost more than R90 per month
…unless your site has special needs (for instance, high bandwidth due to video or extremely large numbers of visitors). A good number of email addresses should be included with the hosting package.

7. Find out about copyright ownership and licensing

Ask the following questions:
Who owns the code and graphics?
Who owns the domain?
What if you want to go with a different web company down the road?
Can you change web hosts easily?
Can you alter the website as you see fit?
What if you want to use the graphics in another medium (i.e. using a web graphic on a print brochure)

8. Ask who will actually be designing the site and who will be programming it.
It’s easy for a web company to save costs and farm out their design or programming work to India, but this usually does not produce good results. Find a designer you can talk to or visit in person. Also, ask what kind of tech support is offered. What happens if the site breaks or programming bugs are discovered? Who will fix it?

9. Ask about maintenance options
Who will be responsible for updating and changing the content? How will these changes be made? Will a Content Management System (CMS) be used? Content Management Systems are great, but can be expensive and are at times unnecessary. if you only change your website once in a while, rather let you designer do it for you and you can focus on your business.

10. Ask about Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Does the developer have the skills and knowledge necessary to ensure you actually get traffic from the search engines? Higher listings are important, but Beware of people who guarantee certain rankings for given search terms. It is possible to artificially inflate a website’s ranking on the search engines, but this practice is dangerous and can actually cause your site to be “blacklisted.” A better solution is to ensure your site is “search engine friendly” and then do the hard work involved in getting quality links back to your site from other sites on the ’Net. A cost web company will be specialists in SEO and build this in from the minute they begin designing your website.

In-Detail work on the highest principles of quality and service of our websites. We are proud of each project we take on and ensure that it is done to perfection.