Remember one thing that stays true. A Web Design Firm is only as good as their last design. My name is Anthony and I will be your guide today(saying this is a professional but fun voice). Ok, lets get down to business. A web design is there for one thing, remember this. That is to make money. Like most businesses they are offering a service to you in return for payment. Yes they do want you to be satisfied with the work they do, but do they want more? Do they want to show off their best skills and amaze people every time they go to your website? Allot of Web Design Firms will only do this if the right dollar amount comes along. So you have to be careful that the reason they want to deal with you is not all about the $$$ for them.
Well then, you may ask. How do I know if I have a good Design Firm on my Hands? From my own personal experience here are some key things to watch for.
1. How they answer your questions. Yes I can understand a company having to wait to get back to you on the exact price. Though if they can not tell you right there and then if they can do what you are asking then they are probably outsourcing. Outsourcing is not bad, but the more people involved outside of their company the less control you have over what is going on. Not all companies who outsource are like this, as some have got it down to a science and really have a smooth system going.
2. Reliability. This is so important especially when it comes to trust. If the company you are looking at for design work takes a long time responding back to you then this could be a sign of delays down the line(if they get your project). See (and this is where it comes from experience) a company should be more eager when trying to get the project and be ready to assist you. Now I am not saying that they should be emailing you every hour, but they should respond back in at least 12-24 hours during the weekdays. This lets you know that someone is here for you and ready to help.
3. The final thing I will look at is trust. Which means simply CAN YOU TRUST THEM? If your the type of person who's gut is usually right then you should follow it. Take the time to make the right decision and know you can trust the firm that you are not only giving your money to but also trusting the success of your website too. Make sure you get references, check them out and make sure you make contact with at least 5 of the people on their list. It may not be possible to get phone numbers but at least contacting them via email will give you some protection.
Just remember to take your time and protect yourself. You are the only one who is looking out for you. Yes some Design firms want to do the best for their clients but there are also others out there that will leave you high and dry. Don't worry about if a company has 2 employees or 1000. If their service is subpar then the final product will also be subpar.
About the Author
Anthony Jewell has over 6 Years experience in the Web & Graphics World. You can visit my business at http://www.logo2d.com
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