Finding a Good Design Agency

If you don't have time or the technical know how to build a website. Don't worry, plenty of people don't. Below are some helpful pointers on what you should look for in a good design agency and what you should ask them.

- Compile a list of sites you like the design of. Make a note of what it is that you love about it, eg. images, flash, style, colour, layout

- Decide on a layout. Look through websites and find a layout that you think is most easy to use and is best for you. For example, menu down the left, at the top etc.

- Go to a copywriter to write the content for your pages or write out all of the content - be sure to spell & grammar check!

- Browse a few hosting and domain name companies and try and find a company that provides a competitive price with a quality service.

- Don't forget about the W3C guidelines and make sure that your web designer follows them.

- Do a few queries on the search engines for what you think people will be searching for, then see how many competitors you have had what they are up to.

Once you have all of these information you will be ready to contact a web design for a quote. When loooking for a designer you may want to look for someone who specialises in your sector or is local to you.

Don't just get one quote, get multiple quotes and compare them. Don't neccarirly go for the cheapest. Go for the designer which you think you will work best with and in the end, get the best website design out of.

You need to ensure you get the specification right or else you will be getting lots of different quotes which will be very varied. And remember that the cost of the website will change depending on the quality of the designer.