Part three: Choosing a supplier

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Part three: Choosing a supplier

Once you've decided what you need and written the brief, it's time to find a supplier to create your site. You could of course use the 'export as HTML' function in your favourite word processor. Or you might get a friend's son or daughter (who is 'good with computers') to do it. Either way, you're likely to be disappointed.

Web design requires skill and experience to ensure that your site works as consistently as possible across different computer systems and web browsers.

Another oft-used approach is to look in the back of a magazine and select a few companies at random. Again, this is unlikely to lead to the ideal supplier. There are many types of web design companies, from small production studios through to multinational cross-media agencies. Inviting the right type of company to tender is far more likely to result in proposals that meet your expectations and budget.

Below is a checklist to help you choose which companies to put on your pitch list:

What sort of approach are you looking for?
As a general rule, smaller design studios tend to be more innovative with their designs and concepts but may also be more specialised in terms of the technologies and additional services they can offer. Larger agencies, on the other hand, tend to be good at offering a wide range of technical solutions and services but are often more conservative in their design approach.

How big is your project?
It's important to balance the scale of your project against the size of a potential supplier. If you commission a large agency to undertake a small project, they are less likely to be able to devote the time and attention to it that you may be expecting - they will be used to handling much larger accounts. On the other hand, a smaller design studio may have difficulty coping with a very large project. Ask how many people will be devoted to your project, and what their roles are. Bear in mind however that more is not necessarily best. Does your project really justify a project manager, a producer and an account handler?

What similar projects have they done?
Have a look at a potential supplier's client list and visit the web sites. If you can, find out a bit about the background to each project - the supplier's web site should provide some information. Bear in mind that many larger agencies often outsource design work when a particularly innovative approach is required. Hence a small studio may appear to have worked for some very impressive clients, when in fact they have been sub-contracted through a larger agency.

Do you need consultancy?
If you are confident that you know what you need, or you have hired an independent consultant to help with the commissioning process, then you'll be looking for a supplier to design and implement your site. On the other hand, you may need a supplier that can offer consultancy and work with you to develop your on-line strategy.

Do they understand corporate identity?
Your web site is an extension of your corporate identity and you wouldn't entrust that to just anyone, would you? But translating an identity to the web is not always easy. Indeed some companies have even revamped their entire brand identity to make it more compatible with the web. Again, check the client list.

Can they produce content?
We've already said that writing for the web is a specific skill. You may have decided to create your own content, but if not, you'll need a supplier who can. Not all web companies offer this service. Remember that if they do, they'll need to spend time getting to know your business and what you are trying to say in much more depth, so you'll need to budget for this.

What technologies are they familiar with?
If your project is anything more than the most basic web site, you'll need a company with certain technical capabilities. If you have a preference or requirement for a particular type of technology, make sure the supplier has experience of using it. For example, you may have already arranged your web hosting on a particular type of server, or you may need your site to integrate with an existing database. Many companies will have their own preferred technologies that they will use unless you specify otherwise. Ask them to justify their recommendations. Bear in mind also that companies will often say they can do something in order to win the business, then outsource the work or hire in a freelance. Ask to see examples of previous work.

Do they understand the medium?
This may sound like a rather odd question, but anyone can build a web site given the right software. Not everyone understands how to do it properly. Good web site design is about combining strong content with appropriate visual design, an intuitive interface and efficient, reliable technology. This requires a variety of skills from a range of different disciplines as well as knowledge of web usage patterns, audience demographics, on-line promotion and so on. Their web site and portfolio should give you a good feel for this but, if in doubt, ask them for a description of their approach.

Do you need ongoing support and maintenance?
Many web companies will be happy to continue managing your site after launch, for a fee. However, not all companies offer this service, as it can be unprofitable, especially if a lot of small but frequent updates are required.

Obviously you'll need to be satisfied that your supplier will still be around in years to come. Nothing is ever guaranteed, of course, but the company's age should be a good indicator. You can also make life easier if you later do need to switch to a different supplier. Make sure you have possession of all the original graphical or other assets from which the web site was created. You may need to specify this in your contract as, by default, only the end product (i.e. the site itself) belongs to the client.

Are they recommended?
You never really know what a supplier is like until you work with them. It's useful, then, to have recommendations. Ask the supplier for client testimonials or ask your consultant for an opinion.