So what should your next new web design company be like?

Really? Because from my reading, you ask....



And then you go on to list some suggested questions, most of which cover technical aspects of life on the web.

You then say at the end...


That's true.

What I'm simply pointing out, is that your focus so far has been on the technical aspects of the web, which IMHO are irrelevant. I'm simply making the point that one should look at their web design company not based on what technology they use, but the results they generate.

A company with a proven track record of producing websites with good ROI will have all the technical aspects in place - after all, they wouldn't produce that ROI without them.

My point is choose your website supplier based on sound business principles, not on who makes the prettiest websites.

@flyerexpert, you are choosing to read into my words using your own interpretation to suit.

The only time I mention SEO in my OP is when I say that clients should ask "is it included?" - in case clients think it automatically should be and it isn't (usually).

You have kept going on and on about SEO not me. It's almost like you want to argue with me over something that, as a web design company, we feel is the right thing to advise people.

Fine, if you feel there are other things that should be added to the list, add them, but like I say, don't come to the forum insulting others people's advice as if you know best and we are all wrong. That is so arrogant.

I am talking simply about avoiding cowboy web designers in the first instance. Over and above that, you then choose who is best to work with based on what they offer as part of their pitch/quote.

Ummmm, yes, I think that's called reading.



No, I haven't mentioned it once. I have talked about the overall performance of the website, you might infer that I mean SEO, but I don't - I simply mean the performance of the website.

Afterall, what would you say to the car dealership that has just sold you a brand new car if they came back and said "Oh, would you like your car road optomised?"



Arrogant? Possibly. Experienced? Yes. I've spent THOUSANDS of pounds with web designers who've convinced me that pretty websites are the best thing since sliced bread. Having listned to dozens of 'experts' I had a realisation. And the realisation is simply this...

I want a successful website. What is the measure of success? Money.



And you think that by focusing on technical ability, you'll weed out the cowboys? 14 year olds are taught the technical aspects at secondary school of websites - would you trust a child with the reputation of your business?



HERE'S MY OPINION - I'd only work with a company who's demonstrated that their work will generate money, a decision based on Sanity, not Vanity.

@indizine, why has this struck such a nerve with you? I would have thought that if you were a reputable designer, you'd have your case studies in place to show why people should use you?

Perhaps if you're not experienced in making business descisions, you could learn something here. Let me use an example in my field of expertise, offline marketing.

Option 1 - eBay supplier - 5,000 Leaflets, Free Design -

I really cannot be bothered with you.

Bizarre experience of the day. Ho hum!

I enjoyed reading this thread....

An extremely valuable point, made by theflyerexpert but lost in the conversation, is before choosing a solution understand your business requirements.

The process is simple, but often forgotten and lost in 'design' and 'technology'.

If small businesses try and think more like big businesses they are less likely to be had over by poor webdesign companies, SEO companies and other snakeoil salesmen.

So the first question is what is your business requirements.

Functional requirement, technical requirements, design and vendor selection all come much further down the line.

Every business is different and will have different requirements for their online systems, some will just want a notional web presence, others will want to generate off line sales through online contacts, others may want to augment offline sales with online sales, others may want to great an online retail presence, others may want to streamline their distribution processes, others may want to manage appointments, others may want to cut the cost of their support staff........ the list is endless.

• Business Requirements.
• Functional & Non functional requirements.
• Solution Selection.
• Implementation partner selection (as to the OP, what do they want from a their webdesign company)

The requirements of the last on the list will depend on the the former, simply put, if for some reason the solution is required NOT to be open source, the webdesign companies selected would have to specialise in bespoke coding not open source implementation.

(Regarding SEO, there are actually many websites / online presences that don't want random traffic from Google )

Where everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I think it only fair that this difference in opinion between you and indizine calm down. There has been no activity in this thread all week and still you seem to want to stoke the fires.

Let's return this thread to the respectful one it started out as please.

Of course, comment removed. Apologies.

Well if you read Google Webmaster Guideline, then making the site usable is indeed SEO.