Beware of the Wrong Web Design Company

Too Large of a Company – A large company means more overhead.  More overhead means more cost.  Large web companies tend to cater to large clients.  If you are not a large company, this might not be a good fit.

Too Small of a Company – We hear stories almost every week of one-man operations, free-lancers, part time hobbyists, college kids, etc. that were more than willing to earn some quick bucks by giving you something quick and easy, only to be unreachable and unresponsive when you need them.  Think long-term with your website.

Lack of Experience – Try to pick a company that built at least 50 websites and has been in business for over 5 years.  The more experience, the more dividends that pays for you.

Limited Portfolio – If a company says they have built lots of sites, but don’t offer an online portfolio of their work, question it.  There is no reason why their clients would not want them to show off their site (unless it was a bad experience).

Recommended by a Friend – Although they may be a friend of a friend, or go to your local church, you should be filtering your web company choices from a business and Internet Marketing perspective, not because they are a nice person or friend of your friend.

Required Contracts – Be leary of companies that force you into long-term contracts.  Ask yourself, why are they requiring to commit.  What happens if you are not happy?  We have seen way too many companies holding their clients hostage.

Template Build vs Custom Build – If the web company is going to use a template to build your site, you might want to bow out.

Lack of Questions – Make sure the web company takes time to understand your business model.  They should be asking many questions to get a good understanding of how to formulate a strategic plan to make sure your website is optimized how it needs to be.

Over Promising – If the web company promises the world and says “yes” to everything, beware.  In this industry, companies tend to over-promise and under deliver.  We hear stories of this all the time.

Your Gut Disagrees – Always pick a web company you feel comfortable with.  It is a relationship that develops during the course of a project and you need to feel good about it.  If you aren’t sure, don’t pull the trigger.  There is a reason some companies flourish and others wither.