It is pretty easy to create a website nowadays but it takes a lot of time to cook up a site that the world has never seen before
. Even if you are creative and know how to design some eye-catching posters and other print materials, you will still face the challenge of turning your concept to a fully working site. If you have a lot of creative ambitions for your site, your best bet is to hire a graphic design company that offers web design services. Ordinary web design services may not be enough if you have huge graphical demands. Graphic design companies have separate teams for graphics and site development so you should your site should be completed faster and should have lots of high-quality elements.
But you can never bet that any graphic design company with a pretty homepage can serve your needs. There are a few things that you need to do before you hire a graphic design company.
First, you should be very clear with your needs so the company understands you best. If you are the type that needs consistent service, you should inform the company in advance. If you want to be involved with their planning phases, you must ask if that is allowed because you might have to look for another company. You also need to make sure that the company knows how to design a site that caters to your site's target market. Some graphic design companies are well-versed in certain areas such as corporate websites but might be weak in designing multimedia sites.
Every legitimate graphic design company should ask you to sign a contract first. It is your responsibility to read the contract so you know the scope of the project along with the timetable and agreement regarding revisions. A solid and flexible contract is most ideal.
Do not hesitate to ask for references even if you were blown away by the company's portfolio. Their clients may have a different story on how well the company worked for them. Ask the clients for their personal thoughts on the graphic design company. This is also a good way to discover worthy competitors that may offer better rates.
But before you ignore the graphic design company for having a really high rate, you should ask the company to breakdown the costs so you can get an idea on what you will be getting for the package. Some rates are high because they include free website hosting and/or marketing. You might be able to ask for a price reduction if you do not need some of these extra add-ons.
If you like a particular graphic design company, you should still check out other companies just to make sure that there is no other company that is better in handling your specific needs.