Establishing a web presence for yourself or your company can seem daunting! You may be brand new to the process or you might just be looking for a different way of doing things. This guide will highlight key steps you will need to take in order to get your web site started. Click on the questions to the left for more information. Web design is a collaborative project, and you will only get the outstanding results you are looking for if both you and your web designer work well together. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

You decided you want a web site, but before you consult a web designer, there are a few things that you should think about. For example, what type of web site, your budget, your target audience, how to update your site, and how to choose a web designer.

This depends a lot upon who you are and your reason for wanting a web site If your goal is to sell things online, then you want an E-commerce web site if your goal is to tell people about your business and get them to call or e-mail you, then an informational site is more up your alley.

You may not know how much you want to spend, or even how much a web site costs. Having a budget is an important part of getting a web site it allows you to fit your web site into your overall business expenses, and it will give your web designer the ability to give you an accurate idea of what is available to you. E-commerce sites are always more expensive because they involve both complicated programming and security. If your budget is low, you might want to think about alternatives to that custom built web site with all the bells and whistles.

Do you sell little kids clothes, hammers and screwdrivers, video games? Chances are you know who your target audience is, and this will come into play when you are deciding what the design of your site might be. While the actual design of your web site is best left to a web designer, the general look and feel is something you should think about. If you sell video games, chances are you are going to want a lot of interactivity because it is something your target audience has come to expect. Likewise, if you are in the hand knit sweaters business, a static design with an emphasis on pictures might suit your clients better. You don't have to know what type of web site would be best for your target audience, just know who they are and your web designer should do the rest.

Something to consider when you are thinking about your site is how you are going to keep it up to date. While this depends greatly on what type of site you have, an e-commerce site needs to be updated constantly, while an informational site can get by with updating less frequently. Are you going to do the updating yourself or are you going to hire someone? Depending on how often you update you'll want to consider this when making your budget.

So you've got an idea about your site. The next step is to contact a web designer. Here is a small list of criteria to look for when choosing a Web Designer.

Portfolio / Prior work:
All Web Designers have a portfolio of prior work that they have done. Take a look at the sites they have created. If you like their work, keep them on your list of possibilities. Most Web Designers will only put up their best work, so look for quality, not quantity when searching portfolios.

Working Relationship:
Your working relationship is going to play a key factor in your Web Design experience. Look at a designers “about us” page to get a feel for who they are, and if they might be someone you’d like to work with.

Location:
Is the Web Designer located near you? While this is not a necessity in our modern age, having a Web Designer closer is helpful in a number of ways: from being in the same time zone to having more familiarity to local businesses.

Past Clients:
If you have your eye on a certain Web Designer, contact a past client and ask how it was to work with them. You’ll either get positive reinforcement of your decision, or be glad you didn’t go into business with them.