Webwise: Choose a builder for your Website

Office World News, Nov 1999 by Dilekli, Karen

A well-designed website must be technically correct, well written, artistic, and it must add value to the business. When selecting a Web designer, choose one who can deliver in all four important areas.

Once the decision has been made to establish a presence on the Internet, the next task is to design and build the site for general access. Most large corporations have a technical staff they can assign this project to. However, if you're a small firm you will probably hire outside consultants to do the work. Finding a good Web designer is something like moving into a new neighborhood and needing a doctor. Where do you look? Who do you ask? To further complicate matters, the price range for such services varies from a package deal that can cost you as little as $25 per month to thousands of dollars for the design alone.

Unfortunately, this field abounds with people who think they are Web designers. They've put up a few simple pages and they work nicely, and they are now ready to go out into the world. Everyone seems to know someone who can put up a website and while you should thank the well-meaning friend who recommends his neighbor's son who is a whiz with computers, it is probably best to avoid giving the project to someone who doesn't have a legitimate company dedicated to this kind of work.

There are also firms that will offer you a low-priced package that includes hosting and design. Such companies use a template approach and generally charge you a flat monthly rate. Be skeptical of offers that seem to be a bargain and companies that use mass telemarketing techniques. It's an old adage, but generally, you DO get what you pay for. A good site conveys the individuality of a company, its philosophy, and its approach to doing business, which cannot be captured and translated using templates.

Now that you know who NOT to hire, how do you go about finding a Web designer that will meet your needs? Here are a few suggestions:

* Ask the businesses you do business with if they have a website. If they do, who did it for them and were they happy with their services? If they are not in direct competition with you, they will probably be happy to supply you with contact information.

* Go out and look at your competitors' websites. Almost all Web-design firms include their logo and a link to their website on the sites they build. It is usually located discreetly at the bottorn of the page, so it may not be immediately obvious. If you like what you see, then visit their site. There is sure to be contact information there.

* When out on the Web, make a habit of checking who designed any site you find particularly appealing. Visit their website. Most Web designers will have a "portfolio" of sites they have created on their website. Check those out, as well. If you consistently like their work, contact them.

Hosting services, companies that have servers connected to the Internet for the sole purpose of "hosting" websites, usually have a directory of Web designers which can be sorted by various criteria. Visit several hosting services online and see what they have to offer. You may want to ask your local ISP, as well.

* Check the sites of professional groups that Web designers would be involved in. The HTML Writers Guild is one such group (www.hwg.org). These groups often list their members, their company names, geographic locations, websites, etc.

* Check the Yellow Pages under "Web Page Designers". Most of the listings include a company website address which you should check before calling them.

There are two frequently asked questions relating to the search for potential Web designers. The first is whether a Web-design firm needs to be geographically close to it's client. The answer is, "No." This is the electronic age and communication has become quite easy across distances. Is it "nice" to have your Web designer close? Absolutely. It's as nice for the consultant as it is for the client. We enjoy meeting with our clients face-to-face and being able to visit their offices. For that reason we have a representative in Canada whose sole purpose is to interface with the client and transmit information to to us. Can we build a website to a client's specifications without ever meeting them? Yes, we can.

The second is, "Can I build it myself?" The media is mfull of ads telling you how easy this is; and both WordPerfect Office 2000 and Microsoft Office 2000 include scaled down versions of software that claim to enable you to build your own website. Easy? Well, yes it could be, depending on what you wanted it to do. The whole issue comes down to this: (1) Do you have the time and incentive to learn how to use this software? (2) Do you have artistic talent?

I have great faith in the human mind and its capacity to learn. I also have great faith in the human spirit and its determination when challenged. If you want to make building your website an exercise to prove the above, then, by all means, build it yourself. We use FrontPage in our business, but we don't use it to design the website. We use it to administer the website. Web designers do use WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) products. However, if they are any good, they will know HTML, JavaScript, and CGI as well.