Whether you're building a site from scratch or updating your existing site, you've got a few options. Your goals for the site determine the options you should go with, so make sure you've got those nailed down first. Ask yourself: What does your company want to achieve with a website?

1. Will you use the site to dispense information?

2. Do you merely want a Internet presence so customers can find you online?

3. What sections do you want in your site? (e.g. About your company, company history, product pages, executive bios)

4. Will you need to develop any special tools for users to interact with your site?

5. Do you already have a logo that your site designer must incorporate in their design?

6. About how many pages are you looking to have designed?

7. Are they capable of adding any back-end functions (like blogs, shopping carts, galleries, etc.) to your design?

8. Are they willing to work around components you've already had designed by someone else?

9. If you don't have a company logo designed already, are they capable of designing one?

10. What type of search engine optimization do they offer ?

11. Ask how long they have been in the business and who their current clients are. This would also be a good time to get some references.

12. Have they won any Web design awards? Which ones? (It's a nice sign if they have, but don't be surprized if they haven't. There are only so many Web design awards to go around.)

13. If they cannot finish the project by the agreed-upon date, will they charge extra fees to finish it? Your contract should say so.

14. Will they be taking on other projects while working on yours? If your project is complicated, you don't want someone who may be overextending.

15. A website professional's own home page will give you enough insight to save you the time and cost of searching around too much. Their site should tell you where they are located and exactly what type of services they provide.

Look at their past work. Have they worked on websites that resemble the site you have in mind for your company? Do they have adequate samples shown?

Communicate fully. How do they charge for their services? By the hour? Flat fees? By the project? Get a resonable estimate for how long it will take to complete the project, and at what cost. Include the agreed-upon dates in your contract and provisions for what will happen if these dates are not met.

Make sure you can review the progress of their work at reasonable intervals as the site is being designed and built. Can you see the progress on a test site?

Are your goals in line? Do each of you seek the same ideal? Confirm that they understand your business objectives and your customer base - don't be afraid to ask important questions. If they dismiss any question as insignificant to the design of your site, find another designer. A good web professional will either come into the interview with a good sense of what your business is about, or will at least be eager to adapt to your instructions. Understand the process of when you don't agree on something.

Choosing the best webpage designer that is right for you should not be a confusing chore; you should not have to work too hard to find that perfect fit for your project.

Designing your site can be as simple - or as complex - as your imagination and budget allows. Go ahead. Look around, check out your competition, use a couple of search engines (like google, msn or yahoo) to find the perfect website designer for you.
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