The Best Website Design Choice for Small Business: A Custom Web Design Company or Do It Yourself?

Oct. 13, 2010 - PRLog -- When a business owner is contemplating scaling up internet activities, the website is usually the first and most important asset.  Global Business Builders announces a Free Website Analysis. Learn more about the offer below.

Asked what are the most common comments in a small business website consultation, Carl Loop of Global Business Builders says: "People most often say their website isn't getting found, has low traffic, or their website just isn't working for them."  For the business owners, the choices are to hire a custom website design firm, or to try to do the job themselves.

What's the best advice?  Design it right...right now! Now is the time to get up to speed- or ahead of your competition- on the internet.  If you are making sales offline, you could be making more sales by building and promoting a great small business website.

Common obstacles a business owner creates for himself or herself:

   * "I made this site myself with Dreamweaver/SiteBuilder/Frontpage or with some "Free" online website builder.
   * "The last website I had done for just X dollars."
   * "My website guy/gal says that can't be done." or "I don't do that."
   * "The website guy/gal who created my website won't return my calls" or "went out of business" or others

These comments pretty much speak for themselves as to why the business owner is frustrated with his online business experience.  Little value was placed on the effort, and little value (or, no value at all) was returned.  Actually, even worse, the business owner probably spent 20 to 100 hours of his/her time seeking the "cheap" solution, and that was time away from what the owner does best.

So, the advice here would be to hire a professional.  But, interview and hire the right professional.

How to interview and qualify the professional? Interview the professional and understand how you will get solid value, solid service,  and solid results.  Some areas to discuss:

  1. Show me your portfolio.
  2. Are you full-service?  Discuss all your services.
  3. Do you know how to promote a website?  Discuss/show me your internet marketing plans and campaigns.
  4. How many points of contact will I have for the project? Explain how responsive you will be.
  5. Go over the short-term goals of the project.
  6. Go over the long-term goals of the project.
  7. Show me/discuss with me your contract for my project.
  8. Discuss pricing, and options.
  9. Why should I choose you, how do you stand apart?

You really will want to find an online business consultant, not just a "website jockey" if you want to succeed on the internet.  You should be comfortable with this person and should feel you will get solid value, solid service and solid results.

To help in making the decision to hire or do it yourself,  Global Business Builders is offering a Free Website Analysis to help a business owner learn more about how his or her website can be improved.  This includes a summary and detailed report of the factors that might be hurting your website, what your competition is doing, and a phone consultation to discuss the report and the recommendations.

You can request your Free Website Analysis at http://www.GBizBuilders.com

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Global Business Builders is a Houston-based Website Design, Pay Per Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) internet marketing Services Company. Get Found. Get Traffic. Get Sales. 281.652.5500