One of the biggest mistakes that business owner make is hiring the wrong person to create their web design. With the multitude of do-it-yourself website builders available many business owners decide to save money on their website but a professionally done site will be more appealing to your customers. If you are starting an online business, don’t compromise on the quality and look of your website.

When hiring a web design company to do the work for you, make sure you visit the sites they have created and get a feel of the type of work they are capable of doing. Look at their portfolio and customer service. Ensure the company can deliver quality work within the agreed timelines.

At the end of the day, your website should be able to do the following for your clients:

  • Offer clients easy to read content
  • Add value by offering tips and free guides
  • Integrate social sharing and allow visitors to comment on the blog
  • The site should be accessed using multiple devices like phones and IPad
  • The site should have clear contact information that is visible
  • The site should have a simple design to make it easy for clients to find information

When planning your site, you need to budget for the following expenses:

  • Planning and requirements gathering
  • Designing and development
  • Project management
  • Premium plug-ins
  • Training
  • Testing
  • Copywriting
  • Images and other media
  • Competitor research
  • SEO and SEM (search engine optimization and search engine marketing)
  • Web hosting and domain name
  • Security vulnerability testing (especially with e-commerce)