If you have decided to create a website, it’s time to choose who’ll do it. Be careful: it’s better not to have a website at all than have a bad one, that will scare away your customers and stain your good reputation.

Following a few simple principles will prevent you from doing the most common mistakes in a website development process.

1. Determine your goals and needs. Developing a simple presentation website and E-commerce catalog are absolutely different things. Your clear explanation will help website developers to bring you the most effective results and avoid misunderstanding.

2. Look through the company’s portfolio. If they claim themselves to be the best website development company in the world, but their masterpieces are not shown in their portfolio, that won’t do. You may even try to contact their previous customers to know their feedback if it’s possible.

3. Contact your website developer personally by phone, email or …. No matter whether it’s a huge corporation or a single person, this website developer is responsible for a web image of your business. Ask them as many questions as possible. Try to evaluate whether this person:

• listens to you carefully;

• understands the peculiarities and needs of your business;

• shares your vision of your future website.

You have got to enjoy working with this person. Do you like the designer’s portfolio? Do you believe he’ll do his best in the process of your website development? Do you enjoy communicating with him?

4. Think ahead. Website is a functioning system which requires changes over a certain period of time that will increase its efficiency. It’s impossible to foresee the future, but if you’re looking for longtime relationship with your website design company, you have to be sure that it’s a serious and reliable company you can entrust your business to. If you’re already involved in the process of website development, ask your designer for editable source files. You have to be sure that you will be able to edit your website with ease.

Remember that developing a website is crucial for your business success. Careful evaluation of potential website features will allow you to choose the right website developer, saving your budget, time and efforts.

I hope you will weigh all the factors before choosing a website development company. It is also very important not to be in a hurry. We all know that hasty decisions can lead to undesirable consequences. Please remember that choosing the best web developer should be done carefully and responsibly.