Many times without knowing anything about the company besides looking at their portfolio we throw our money at this company and just assume everything to go well.  Often times we end up disappointed.  Traditional business and e-business are completely different.  When hiring a website design company to work for you, there are some precautions that need to be considered.

    Who are they?
    Do you have any idea where your website development company is located?  Who runs the company?  These are questions that you may not think are important at first, but you need to consider them.  What if you website design company is located in another country and defaults on the contract?  Do you really plan to go to another country to pursue a lawsuit?  If you paid with a credit card you can always dispute the charge but there are many companies that run under different names after bad experiences.

    Feedback, check into it!
    We've all seen the online testimonials posted all over the website.  The truth is, there's no telling whether those feedbacks are real or completely fiction.  If the website development company has posted the feedback, then really they should have permission from the client and therefore have no problem telling you about the project.  Also, it's completely ok to ask for references.  This is very important.  How are the people that wrote this feedback being treated now?  Are the references the website design company gave you the same people that are on the site?  Find out as much as you can about the design firm from sources outside of their website.

    The portfolio...who's is it?
    Yes it's true, there are website design companies out there that make false claims about their portfolio.  I have personally found other firms claiming our work as their own.  Take the time to actually visit the website that is posted on the portfolio.  If you have any doubts contact the owner of the website.

    How long have they been in business?
    This is something to keep in mind with so many new companies popping up.  The internet is still very new so a company that's only been in business a year or two isn't always bad. 

    What are their experience and/or specialties?
    Would you hire a graphic design company for you programming tasks?  How about hiring a professional marketing firm to create your logo?  This doesn't make sense but what many people don't realize is that there are specialty companies out there claiming to be website development professionals.  Is it really a one-stop-shop for all your internet needs or are they simply farming out all the work they cannot do?

    What are the payment terms and guarantees?
    Do you really want to pay 100% up front to a company that you've never worked with before?  In some cases it's ok but you should proceed with caution when a web design firm wants all the money.  What about a guarantee?  Are there any benchmarks set?  If your website isn't developed on time that can hurt you financially.  There needs to be some guarantees and deadlines set in place.  This along with any other details that matter should be put in writing and signed by both parties.  Don't make the mistake of signing the first copy and sending it in without getting a signature from them.  A contract signed by you only will probably not hold up.

    Hopefully I've laid out some helpful guidelines to go by when selecting your web design company.  If you've got you eye on PSI, please call us and feel free to ask about everything.  Website development is not a secret and shouldn't be treated like one.  PSI is built on trust and supported by our happy clients.

Call us today at 1 (800) 211-7619 for a free consultation and proposal.