When shopping around for a web design company for your business, it is easy to get caught up with brand name or rely on an extensive resume portfolio when making a buying decision; especially on big ticket items. Many of us are guilty of this, in fashion, restaurants, even in the shoes we wear. My son wears the shoes that all the other kids are wearing and I carry the purse all the women are or want to carry – sometimes, even if I don’t necessarily like it.  Sounds crazy, yet we all do it. I have since mended my ways and have learned the very important concept of quality over quantity, especially in the business world; it just makes sense. I would rather work for a small company that I know has potential growth and partners that I know will recognize and nurture their staff as opposed to a huge company or conglomerate that is always just focused on the bottom line, regardless of how they get there.  So why should you not think the same way when looking for the perfect web design company to design, maintain and monitor your website that is bringing in business and money for you? 

Here are some things to take into account and seriously think about while you shop around and compare prices:

• Look at the testimonials from past customers – do they mention the quality of work and efficiency?
• Is there is a portfolio of customers? If so, call them and find out first-hand what the buying experience was like.
  • Was their sales representative honest and open about pricing and ETAs of launch?
  • Did the company take its business personally? That is very important and often times gets lost in translation when choosing a company that pops out websites a dime a dozen. 
  • Did the company follow through with the promises they made? 
• Are you choosing a company that offers more than just the initial web designing? 
• Will you have a contact to reach 24/7 regarding any issues you may have with your site?
• What guarantees does the company you are looking at offer?

These are important things to look at, because let’s face it, we want the money we spend to produce! You have to do the research because there are many companies out there, most offering the same service and all for varying prices. You have to the find the best one that meets all your criteria, not just the one that looks good on paper. 

Find a company that has experience in the industry you are in so that they can make that personal connection with your wants and needs. Are you looking for more than just web designing? There are companies that do just the web designing and then there are few companies that offer services like content writing on a monthly or regular basis, professional photography, web maintenance services, server hosting or social media optimization. It is more cost effective to find all these services with one company as opposed to using two or three vendors doing what one can do. 

Good luck on your search and remember quality over quantity in almost every case, regardless of what you are shopping for, is the most cost effective and efficient. Research is the key!