How to Pick the Right Firm for Your Business

If you’re simply looking to get your feet wet with a Web site, you have plenty of options. But if you are serious about integrating your Web site into your business, you need to find an Internet firm that is just as serious about giving you a professional outcome.

Step 1. Describe your expectations for your site:

Tier 1: You want a Web site that functions more like an online brochure. It won’t necessarily be linked to your sales projections. You’re looking to create a Web site primarily because you feel you have to.
Site maintenance: updates are minimal

Tier 2: Your Web site will play an important role in your marketing plan, either by generating leads, selling products online, or serving as a vital source of communications with customers and employees. You are willing to spend the $7,000 to $17,000 in the first year to ensure your site generates enough leads and sales to help pay for itself.
Site maintenance: updates required several times a year
Note: Checkerboard caters to Tier 2 clientele.

Tier 3: Your business will be 75-100% Web-based.
Site maintenance: constant, daily updates needed

Step 2. Describe your ideal relationship with a Web design firm:

Will it function as an arm of your company? You’ll tell them what you want, and then expect them to carry out your vision? or
Are you looking for a firm that will make professional recommendations, and have the capabilities to turn those recommendations into reality.

Step 3. Compare Internet firm based on stability, price, experience, and service

Stability: Web design companies come and go. Don’t risk your reputation on a company that won’t be there to support you a year from now.

How long has the firm been in business?
How long have its key employees been with the company?

Experience: Make sure that the company is capable of handling your project criteria.

Are they experienced with creating and maintaining e-commerce and lead generation sites?
Are they focused primarily on design (how a site looks) or on development (how a site functions)?
How much marketing experience do they have?
Do they own their own server?
Do they have examples of sites within their portfolio that have the same capabilities you want for your own site?

Price: What happens after the site goes live? There are plenty of companies that will create a site then run off. A quality development firm will have structured maintenance plans in place.

Do you have maintenance plan options?
Does the initial bid include everything you’ll need to have the site function as you need it to?

Service: How well will you be treated?

What processes do they have in place to ensure that what they develop is what you envision?
How much emphasis is placed on the pre-planning phase of the project?
How do they plan to communicate with you, and how often?
Do they speak jargon or plain English?
Do they have a ticketing system so that you can check on your project’s status at any time?
Do they have references for the type of sites that you want to develop?
Are they willing to give you a reasonable timeline for your project?

Case Study

Checkerboard indexed the documents on the Web site, making them downloadable for members only. Membership is a lead generation tool because it requires the prospect to give their name, business, title and address.

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