Mouse Will Play
Skipton Web Design & Development
Planning a Website
Choosing a Web Design Company
The best place to start is to look the portfolios of a few companies. Do you like their style? Does it fit in with your business? Do all their sites look the same? Make a shortlist and get in touch with a few.
Here are a few suggestions of questions to ask:
Q. Do you code to current web standards?
A. Sites should pass the W3C validation check. For more information see Web Standards - What Are They & Why Are They Important?
Q. Do you use Flash or HTML?
A. In the majority of cases, HTML is preferable. See To Flash or not to Flash! for more information.
Q. Do you use CSS or tables for layout?
A. Without getting into technical details, the answer should be CSS. See here if you want to know more.
Q. Which browsers do you test on?
A. Sites look and behave differently depending on the browser they're viewed with. Good web designers should test a site on all recent versions of major browsers. For more information see A Comparison of Browsers.
Q. Do you charge an annual support fee?
A. Some companies do; some don't. Here at Mouse Will Play we don't see why you should pay an annual fee. After your site is launched, the only recurring cost is the renewal of your domain name and hosting. We provide free support and if you require additional work done on your site, we'll give you a free quote for it.
Q. Can you give me a fixed quote or do you work on an hourly rate?
A. Each company operates slightly differently on this one and it can, to some extent, depend on the nature and size of the project. If you have a fixed budget, most companies should be happy to agree to work within this. Just make sure the project is clearly defined in detail up front so you know what's included (and what isn't).
Q. If I need changes in the future, what is your hourly/daily rate?
A. 'An entire website for £200' might sound very attractive but it won't turn out to be such a bargain if you get charged £200 for each new photo you want uploading.
Q. Who will own the domain name, hosting and intellectual copyright?
A. The answer should be 'you' to all of the above.
Q. Will you register my site with search engines and submit a sitemap?
A. Submitting a sitemap helps with search engine ratings. Any web design company should be happy to do this for you.
Q. What happens if you go out of business or if I want to use another web design company?
A. As has being highlighted recently by the demise of some household names, no company is guaranteed to be around forever. The best thing you can do is have a contingency plan. Your domain name and hosting should be in your name and you should be sent the access details. Then if at anytime you want to switch web design companies, you'll have all the information you need to do so.
Q. Do you use in-house technology, e.g. CMS?
A. For the same reasons as above, it's best where possible to use popular, industry-standard technology. For more information see Content Management Systems
Q. What measures do you take to ensure sites are search engine friendly?
A. How a site is coded is a major factor in search engine ratings. Check your designer is knowledgeable about SEO. For more information see Search Engine Optimisation.
Q. Can you provide references?
A. A reputable web design company will be happy to put you in touch with a few customers so you can ask them if they were happy with the service and final result.
Q. Can you work to my deadline?
A. If you have a fixed deadline, make sure your designer is aware of this and agrees to complete the project in time.
Q. Do you require payment up front?
A. Never pay the full amount up front. It is reasonable for a web design company to ask for a deposit up front - we do this when we've shown you some initial ideas and you're happy we're going in the right direction. We use the deposit to cover costs of the first year's domain name, hosting, any stock photography and software licences (e.g. for eCommerce sites). However, the final balance isn't due until your site is up and running.
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