Choosing a Web Design Company

These is no shortage of skilled web design professionals these days, however finding the right one for your specific web design and development needs can be a daunting task. It is a good idea to know what you want to accomplish with your website before seeking out a company to put together your solution.

Put together a list of items and features that you would like to have on your website, this will help your staff and various web design companies to put together an accurate work estimate for your project. It is definitely a good idea to request a quote or consultation from a number of companies. This will enable you to discuss your project and get valuable feedback.

There are a number of solutions available that could meet your needs. Depending on your type of business you may find that there are a number of niche market web design companies specializing in developing websites with your business in mind. You may also find that all of your needs can be met using a standard open source platform. Which one to choose will depend on how much time and resources you have to invest in your website.

Compare and contrast using a standard open source platform to develop your website vs using a proprietary system.

Pros of using standard open source solutions such as Joomla, Drupal or Wordpress

• Available with almost all standing website hosting services using plesk or cpanel.
• Can be setup easily from your hosting administrative interface.
• Hundreds of free customizable templates and cost effect premium templates available.
• Easy to find a web developer or designer to help customize functionality and design.
• Very cost effective, about $150 for hosting and a premium customizable template.
• Thousands of free modules available to do just about anything you can think of.
• You own your website and can freely migrate to most any standard hosting platform.

Cons of using standard open source solutions

• Slight learning curve if you are going to do it yourself.
• May have to pay for custom functionality (if not available from the community).

Pros of using a niche market solution on a proprietary system

• Access to features and functionality designed specifically for your business.
• Work with a company specializing in your market.

Cons of using a niche market solution on a proprietary system

• You will not actually own your website (cancelling service means losing your website or starting over on a new platform).
• Cost are usually higher.
• Many others in your market may have similar websites (bad for online branding).
• Invest time and resources into learning a system that doesn't benefit you anywhere else.

At first glance using a standard web hosting solution and framework does seem like the sensible option, however, you should base your decision on who to work primarily on what they can offer your business. Naturally, if a company can help you generate leads through online marketing while also developing your organic ranking and online presence then they are probably a good decision for your business.

If all they are doing is building and hosting a website, then it may be best to go with a standard solution so that you don't get trapped into paying higher rates for service that doesn't help your business.