Any Web design company would attempt to convince you that they were the best for the job - and who can blame them? But it's up to you to make the right decision.

The following information covers some important areas to consider before deciding who should build your Website.

Cost

People with a small budget usually try to find a company that charges the least for Web design. There are also those who want the best site they can get, and look for a company that charges the most. Obviously you must find a company that will produce a site within your budget, but our advice is to never judge by the fees a Web design company charges.

Sometimes designers charging small fees can waste your money on a site that is poorly designed, looks bland, and has no impact whatsoever; however, the same can also apply to designers who charge exorbitant fees. We have seen companies that charge small fees and produce amazing Websites, and companies charging the earth which produce dreadful sites.

The portfolio

If a Web design company's site looks fantastic this does not mean they can produce a site of the same quality for you. Many Web designers will spend hour upon hour tweaking their own site to make it more aesthetically pleasing, but they won't spend so much time working on a client's site.

Web design companies usually have a portfolio of sites they have designed, and judgement of their ability should be based on the standard of those sites alone. If you can't find a portfolio then ask the company directly for some examples of their work.

How does the site look in ALL Web browsers?

Web designers may inform you that their sites are compliant with CSS or XHTML standards. While this is highly commendable it does not mean that their sites will look good when viewed through all Web browsers. As well as Internet Explorer there are browsers such as Firefox, Opera, Safari, and now Google's own Chrome browser. Make sure that the Web designer you choose can produce a site that looks the same in each of these browsers.

Some large, well known companies have spent thousands of pounds on their Websites, yet they look terrible when viewed in Firefox - which is used by over 20% of people accessing the Web. Remember, how much you pay doesn't necessarily reflect the quality of the site you will get.

Unique work

Many Web designers offer great looking sites for small fees because they don't actually design the sites themselves. There are plenty of sites providing templates (pre-designed Web sites) that you can get for as little as £40 or even completely free. A Web design company can use such templates for your site, merely adding your logo and content. The major issue with this method is that other people could buy the same template, so your competition could legally have a site that looks exactly the same as yours.

Make sure you know whether or not you are paying for a template or a unique design. Charges for unique sites are usually much higher as the design will only be used once.

How are you treated?

'The customer is always right'. Well, not always. If you want a Website you probably want it just the way you like it, but a Web designer may tell you it's not a good idea. Listen to what the Web designers suggest, as they probably have a very good reason for suggesting it, but remember that the final decision should be yours. You should not feel pressured into doing something that you don't feel happy with. Service should always be friendly and personal, and you should be treated with respect.

Search engine optimisation (SEO)

No matter how much you pay for a Website it's a waste of money unless people can find it. When people use search engines (such as Google), and type in words or phrases associated with your site's content, you would expect your site to be displayed. This is a very fine art. A lot of time may be required to find out exactly what people would search for, and then your site would need to be optimised in order to reflect this.

There are many companies who claim to provide good SEO; however, many such claims are plainly false. Always ask for examples of the sites a company has designed, and the keywords/phrases the sites were optimised for - and make sure that the words and phrases are sensible things people would naturally search for. If you pay for SEO then make sure you're not paying money for nothing.

Conclusion

• You don't always get what you pay for - don't let the price rule your decision.
  
• Before approaching a Web designer check their portfolio.
  
• Make sure that the site can be built to look the same in all Web browsers.
  
• Check whether or not your site will be a template or a unique design.
  
• Listen to Web designers' advice, but don't be pushed around.
  
• Ask for examples when paying for SEO.
  

Having said all of this, we leave it up to you to decide which is the best company to build your Website.