How Not To Get Ripped Off By A Web Company

Some of our clients have come to us with horror stories of having paid well over the odds for web design services - and in some cases been charged for 5 times as much as they needed to have paid for things they didn’t even need.

As a business owner who knows nothing about some of the more technical aspects of web design and what it takes to get a website set up, the task can be a daunting one.

Here are a few things you should be wary of when looking around for the *right* web design firm to help you build a presence on the internet:

1. Excessive hosting charges
   One of our clients came to us last year and told us they were paying over £200 ($400) per year for hosting which was provided by their web design firm and for which they were clearly being held to ransom.

   Many web design firms will convince you that you must use their hosting services if you work with them, scaring you with stories of how other services are insecure, can leave you vulnerable to cyber attacks and that you really are safer using the service they provide.

   Honestly? This just isn’t necessary unless perhaps you’re a big corporation in which case you may well be better off getting your own servers anyway. We recommend a few hosting services - all of which typically cost no more than £5/$10 per month. They are usually more than adequate for the average small- to medium-sized business and can always be upgraded if necessary.

2. Surprise additional costs & charges
   Whilst we know what it’s like on the other side of the fence and being asked to add ongoing extras that weren’t in the original scope - you should also ensure you are aware of any additional costs that the design and build of your website may incur before agreeing to go ahead with anything.

   If you think you might want some additional functionality or non-standard things on your site before a company starts to build it, discuss this with them and get their input on how best to do it, whether it can be done and how much it will cost to do it before they start developing the site. They may be able to suggest a solution you hadn’t thought of or make you aware of the pro’s and cons of what you’re suggesting.

3. Experience in online marketing
   Assuming you want a website to advertise your business, working with a web design firm which also knows a thing or two about online marketing means they may be able to add all sorts of added value to your project - from designing a site that doesn’t just look pretty but is functional and effective to advising you on how to market it and drive traffic to it once it’s completed.
4. Follow-up support
   Make sure you know what, if any, and how much follow-up support for your website is available. Whilst it is possible for other companies to take over the management and updating of your site, it can sometimes involve a challenging hand-over (depending upon how the site has been set up) and more hassle than it’s worth.

   This effectively then means you may well have a long (and fruitful) relationship with your web design company - if this is going to be the case, choose carefully and make sure you pick someone you like and can trust. You may also want to ask for a copy of the original website files (some firms will charge you a premium to hand these over), so that should you want to go elsewhere, you have the files for someone else to use.

5. Dodgy advice
   For anyone who knows even a little bit about websites, html, CSS and the like (coding languages upon which websites are built), it isn’t actually rocket science to whack up a site that looks ok, just about works and, as you may be told, has been done at a bargain price for you. There are unfortunately a lot of cowboys out there who will pass off templates and cookie-cutter site designs as custom-designs and one-off originals.There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with templates and cookie-cutter designs, if that’s what you’re looking for and that’s what you’re paying for but just make sure you know what you’re getting for the incredibly good deal and low price someone offers.

Whilst we would love for you to choose to work with us as your web designers, we also know we’re not right for everyone - and that’s a good thing, we’re not trying to appeal to everyone!

However, if you have any questions about a firm you’re considering hiring and you’re just not sure whether it’s a good deal or not, leave us a comment here and we’ll do our best to advise you.