Everything’s set. You have the space, the domain name and the basic idea that you’re interested in developing a website for your business. Or your corporate website isn’t garnering enough revenue, and you need to restructure and redesign. The next step is to hire the appropriate web development firm. Selecting the right choice is an intricate process, where you need to know your exact requirements and how best to convey them forward, so there’s no misrepresentation early on.

Following the series of steps presented in detail below will help to ensure that you hire the best web design company for your project.

Step 1: The Request For Proposal (RFP)

Before considering any prospective web development firms, it’s important you know what you want. For instance, consider the following points:

• What are your company’s objectives, ie how do you want the site to be used?
• What kind of services will you provide?
• Are you interested in a graphic-intensive site or an information driven one?
• Will your site incorporate E-Commerce?
• Do you want to manage information through a database? If so, are there specific technologies you’re looking for?
• What is your budget? Is it fixed or fluid?

Once you’ve answered these primal set of questions and incorporated them as a written document in the RFP, you’ll need to consider what information you require from the prospective web design companies. For instance, technical considerations like what programming languages they have experience with, areas of expertise (e-commerce, cms, etc), and also whether they can develop great web designs within your target budget.

The thoroughness with which you write the RFP is instrumental in the step that follows.

Step 2: Selection Criteria

You will need a standard yardstick with which you can compare prospective companies bidding for your project. A set of criteria should incorporate the following:

• Prior experience with a project of this scale, if it is high-end.
• Portfolio of past web design and development projects.
• Impressive corporate website.
• Testimonials or feedback from past clients/clientele.
• Expertise in designing impressive creative and usable interfaces or GUI.
• Experience in required software, programming or database solutions relevant to project.
• Experience with SEO or Search Engine Optimisation, though not a necessary criterion, but an added plus.

Step 3: Candidate Identification

Once the criteria have been determined and compiled, a search for the right candidates should be conducted. This can be done either via search engines, through existing contacts or via websites that host a list of web development firms. If done via search engines, it will be difficult and time consuming to locate a set of candidates fitting your tailor-made criteria.

Ideally, the narrowed set of candidates should be limited to three and not exceed six web design companies. All selected firms should have the required technical know-how and relevant experience.

Step 4: Submit RFP

Now that you’ve narrowed down a list of companies, you need to send your RFP to the designated firm contact, which can be a simple point and click email. Unless you also want to conduct a phone session or a physical meeting.

Step 5: Evaluating Candidates

Once you have received all proposals by the project deadline, an indepth review of each web development firm’s proposal is required. This can be done in a number of ways, the most prominent of which is developing a solution/selection matrix where you use the information provided in the proposals opposed to your specific set of criteria. The web design company with the highest total is the optimum solution for your project. Talking to firm contacts or to-and-fro emails will help in making your decision easier as well as reviewing existing and past clients’ feedback and testimonials.

Step 6: Final Decision

Once you’ve evaluated all applicants, it’s time to “officially” select the right company in terms of which firm most adequately meets your requirements. Do not make price only a qualifying factor but weigh out both price and quality. If the firm has a history of fast turnarounds, well thought out designs and excellent feedback and testimonials, the asking price might not be too much in light of what they have to offer. As is often the case, the lowest bidder generally provides the lowest quality.

Step 7: Website Design and Development

Now that your web development firm has been selected, and steps 1 through 6 have been thorougly completed and addressed, the actual web design and development phase begins. This usually consists of constant updates by the web design company with suggestions for improvement by you. It involves intensive testing by the corporate testers to ensure everything reaches you in the best condition. Even if you have selected the picture perfect company, it’s important to follow through with each update to ensure a higher than expected delivery.
 
These steps can also be implemented to enhance existing website features and functionality, and any project which requires outsourcing to a third party development firm.

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