How to Know if Your Website Design Company is a Good One
These days, business owners have a huge pool of digital/online media companies to choose from in Toronto or the area. It may be daunting to make a selection…
How do you know which website design company will serve your business the best? It is your website & your image at stake so making the right decision will help your business make the most out of your online presence.
When you have contacted a few companies, be sure to note whether they share the following information with you or not:
- Firm price
You can expect a firm price along with a proposal from a good web design company. They take the time to research your needs and create a detailed quote.
Understanding your project scope is always part of your initial discussions, therefore a firm proposal is normally given to you after you had met or spoken with a representative.
- What is NOT included in the price
CC image credit: Jude Lee on Flickr
There are certain elements in a web design project which are not included in the quote.
These can be things that you need to provide or services that your chosen website design company does not offer, such as domain and hosting fees, stock photos, premium template fees content writing, etc.
The list of non-inclusive elements may vary by situation or project.
- What is included in a monthly fee
Some web design companies may charge monthly. You may see the list of activities performed within the proposal itself or as a separate document.
Sometimes, a nominal hosting fee may also be included in this monthly fee. If you are not sure, feel free to ask the website design company for details.
- Whether it is a custom or a template based design
It is not expected from you to know what types of websites are out there. However, a quick research or some guidance can help you see the big picture.
There are two types of websites: one that is built from scratch, from zero. The designer designs it from the ground up with guidance from you if required. That is called a custom design.
There are template based designs. This means that your web design company buys template design for you online and customizes it to your needs (if he is a true professional anyways).
Ask your developer which one you are getting to understand what you can expect.
- SEO included or not
It is becoming more and more popular for some web design companies to include SEO work in their quote, as ranking on Google is becoming more and more important for business owners.
Sometimes a basic SEO setup is included in the proposal, sometimes you have to pay a monthly fee. Whichever is the case, consult with the website design company of your choice to see how you are going to be appearing on Google.
Top image credit: Spirit-Fire on Flickr – CC-BY 2.0
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