The following are some guidelines that you might consider before starting your project:

 

Why Hiring a Web Designer?

The explanation is simple. If you car has a noise in the valves you will never try to fix it yourself... right? You'll go straight to the mechanic to ask him to fix it for you. Why? Because professionals do a better job. You are probably specialized in any field like accounting, laws or anything and believe us... we will never try to do any of that stuff by ourselfs; we are Internet professionals and we will like to stay like that, same as you should. Unles you have the skills is better to hire a professional Company dedicated to do Web Design, basically is this:
PROFESSIONAL = GOOD PRODUCT AND SECURED EARNINGS.

 

Identify Your Needs according to your Product

The first step in making a successful website is to consider that the people who will visit your website has to find something atractive or useful so they'll come back. If your site is atractive and offers good products, chances are that those visits will turn into sales. So for example, if your product is let's say, MP3s you should consider including some useful stuff like "how to get more from your MP3" or "where to go to download free sample music", etc. You might consider as well adding links to useful related websites that will make a visitor return. Think as any of your customers will think... what do they like, what they will hate, what will be useful for them, etc.

 

Identify your Audience

This is useful to write the content. Using the same example of MP3s you will have content targeted to youth people, nothing boring like "How beautiful is the music or Bethoven" as youth people is most likely your target audience. After you get to this point you will be able to start writting your website's content.

 

Sketch your Website on a Paper

Now that you have your content and target audience it is time to start thinking about the design. Many people tend to have animations, but again, if your website is not targeted to youth people you can get rid of that beautiful stuff and concentrate your efforts in something more useful; have in mind that an animator will charge you per second of animation. An average animation lasting 3 seconds can ranges from $100 to $300 depending on the level of expertise needed. It could be more if you want to have 3D images or make it interactive, so if your budget is short try to use less animation and have more rich content.

You have to have clear at least the following points before starting:

How many pages do you need
Specific information about every page, products, services, etc.
Particularly detailed specification of any interactive areas (if any)
Database needs (for content driven websites and shopping carts)
Contact form(s) (used to get feedback or enquiries from visitors)
Live connection to payment gateways (to charge customers on shopping carts)
Live connection to UPS, USPS, Fedex, etc (to ship products from shopping carts)
Graphics
Animation(s)

If you feel like figuring a site theme and graphics is too much, you can also consider buying a professional template. These are pre-defined designs that will do an excellent job in achieving the look and feel you want. Remeber that this will only reduce the ammount of time you have to spend in the design, but a web designer will charge you almos the same to make it fit your needs. If you would like to consider this option review some professionaly made Templates by clicking here.

 

Select a good Web Design Company

Many people tend to select the cheapest ones, but if you are serious about your business think about this: "cheap things are always the firsts to get broken" isn't it?
Some others use the word-of-mouth. If you know someone who has a website, you can ask:

Who did the design for you?
Was that company professional
It was a good experience?
Did he ever show up after your website was done and paid?

If you find a Professional web designer excellent!! If not try searching online. There are many companies out there that will assist you. You are actually reading on a website made for Web Design Professionals. Please consider us to make your Dream come true. Remember that hiring a web designer is almost like getting married; you have to be careful who you pick as that person will be the one that will clean the house from time to time without breaking anything, make improvements, move stuff from one side to the other, and who else than the one who build it?? Of course, you can go somewhere else to find someone able to do it but after all this work planing, designing the website, choosing a web design company... would you like to start all over again?

A Professional Web Design Company will provide you with at least the following:

Will provide you with Professional council about the Website Layout, Navigation and ROI (return of investment).
Will talk to you in a clear and understandable manner.
Will take lead of your project as if it weres their own website.
Will assign a specific person to your project, not 3 or more people involved as they tent to be mass production, really bad if you want to create a unique face for your company.
Will work with you as a team.
Will do their best to make you happy.
Will provide you Professional support after the project is done.
Will have available other solutions like Professional Search engine optimization, Web Analytics, PPC campaigns management (pay per click), Web Hosting, Domain Name Registration, etc, so you can have a somplete solution that you most likely will need in a future.
A LEGAL CONTRACT IN WRITTEN explaining clearly every step that the company will take same as specific articles protecting both parties.

This is what we consider most important guidelines to have a great website. Now is up to you to take the next step... hiring a web design company.
We would like to have the opportunity to be your choosen company and get to know each other, talk about your project and hopefully make your dream Website a complete success!! Please consider contacting us to take the lead of your important project!!