Choosing a Web Design Firm? Ignore These Things

We recently wrote about important criteria to consider when choosing a web design firm. This post is about the opposite: things that don't really matter when choosing a firm. In today's economy, it's important to invest your marketing dollars wisely , and as organizations seek out their web partner, many get scared away from firms for reasons that really shouldn't be deal breakers.

Location, Location, Location...Rarely Matters

Don't let the location of a firm be the sole factor in deciding whether or not to work with them. In today's connected and flattened world, the location of vendors has almost become irrelevant. Still, we encounter clients that are scared to work with a firm that isn't a stone's throw away. We're a Raleigh web design firm , but we have clients across the country and the majority of them are outside of the area. By using collaborative tools such as doing presentations through GotoMeeting , project management through Basecamp , or using Google Docs , we're able to keep our clients informed and up to date on the development of their site often without ever even meeting them face to face. Don't limit your options geographically. Look for the best possible web provider based on price, quality of work, and culture not just because they have a familiar area code.

Size is Not the Solution

The bigger the better does not necessarily apply to web firms. We're a small web design firm. We're not shy about it, in fact, we embrace it. We think our size is an advantage and helps us do better work at more affordable prices than many of our bigger competitors. Large firms must deal with many inefficiencies and their billing must overcome their overhead and bureaucracy. We're a small company and we've built web presences for public companies, national non-profits, and political campaigns at every level - don't think that just a company is small that they can't handle your project.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Just because a firm doesn't work exclusively in your niche market, doesn't mean they can't design well for your organization. If you're a law firm, you don't have to work with a web company that only designs law websites. Look at a web design firm's general body of work - frequently, diversity is a good sign and not a bad one, as it shows they've been able to understand not only different organizations but also different industries. If the web design firm has had success across multiple industries, they'll most likely be able to do a great job on your site, even if it's their first foray into that specific industry.

These are some of the most common hesitations that we have encountered when speaking with prospective new clients. If you have other criteria that should be added to the list, please comment on the post.