How to chose a web design company for big project?

Zascar

Friend of mine is close to kicking off a pretty large idea which will be website/online business. He's done all the planning and now needs to pick who is going to design the site. It has a very specific niche but is basically a content/news site. He's mostly based in the middle east but was asking me if Ireland or uk would be better to get it done.

I saw a proposal he got from a local crowd, seems fine, pretty generic, hard to tell. The price is in the tens of thousands of dollars. I'd say he could get a basic site done for one tenth, and invest the money on growing the business instead - the site can develop in time. But that's just me...

How does someone who knows little about this go about picking someone to do this for them? Is it just get a shed load of quotes and see who you'll work best with? How can I point him in the right direction of even picking the companies to talk to?

Any advice welcome - cheers

tramoreman

check portfolios
approach several give them the spec and get quotes
its a question of who you work best with and who will do the best work for you
when choosing from quotes dont choose the cheapest

The Corinthian

Put together an RFT (Request for Tender). This should be a broad functionality specification of the site, as well as describing what other duties you would be seeking of the supplier, such as ongoing maintenance. Ask for breakdowns wherever possible, baring in mind that they cannot go into too much details as they don't have a full specification.

Approach consultancies, set a deadline and await the responses.

Of those who reply, look at the timelines they've proposed and compare them to each other. You'll soon find that some have put in very little effort reading your RFT and have really only sent you a few pages of response, with the rest of it being marketing filler. Bin those.

Also bin the top and bottom 5% of quotes.

As to the companies themselves, check out their portfolios. Ask for relevant case studies and testimonials. Try to ascertain how financially secure they are (nothing worse than a supplier going bust half-way through a project).

Select a short-list and invite them for interview, where you can ask them any questions to clarify anything they may have left out or that you may be still curious about.

Then make your selection.

smash

The Corinthian wrote: »

Of those who reply, look at the timelines they've proposed and compare them to each other.

It's hard to project a timeline or give a real quote without meeting the client first to detail and spec the project.

The Corinthian

smash wrote: »

It's hard to project a timeline or give a real quote without meeting the client first to detail and spec the project.

I completely accept that, but I've reviewed tenders in the past and you'd be amazed with some of the bloat some put in - four working days for a mailto form?

smash

The Corinthian wrote: »

I completely accept that, but I've reviewed tenders in the past and you'd be amazed with some of the bloat some put in - four working days for a mailto form?

Are people who quote like that still in business? :eek:

I like to work off the principle of a quote based on the clients initial spec and then a revised quote based on a completed spec following a design workshop with the client.

It's always better that the client states their ballpark budget first though, just to save time on both sides. I've worked on specs for clients containing workshop, design, dev and data import where their business has turnovers of tens of thousands a week, then to find out that their website budget is sub 5k which is just nonsense.

The Corinthian

smash wrote: »

Are people who quote like that still in business? :eek:

Don't know about Ireland, but certainly in continental Europe.

I like to work off the principle of a quote based on the clients initial spec and then a revised quote based on a completed spec following a design workshop with the client.

I agree and perhaps I was not clear about this. An RFT is not a final spec that someone can attach a hard figure to - it's not supposed to be. It's purpose is to get a rough ballpark figure, but even more to separate the cowboys from the clued in and most importantly the one's who will actually pay attention to your requirements instead of spewing out generic responses - I cannot exaggerate how many will send back a 30 page response, of which 28 pages are filler and two don't address any of the questions posed in your RFT.

It's always better that the client states their ballpark budget first though, just to save time on both sides. I've worked on specs for clients containing workshop, design, dev and data import where their business has turnovers of tens of thousands a week, then to find out that their website budget is sub 5k which is just nonsense.

Well, you'll always get tossers who are looking for people to work for peanuts. Spend enough time in the business and you begin to develop a sixth sense for them, but even then I'll still get my time wasted at least once a year.

smash

The Corinthian wrote: »

Well, you'll always get tossers who are looking for people to work for peanuts. Spend enough time in the business and you begin to develop a sixth sense for them, but even then I'll still get my time wasted at least once a year.

It's easy to spot the chancers but every now and then there's one who get manages to get through the net and leaves me banging my head off the desk.

OP, don't let your friend be that guy!

mneylon

Corinthian's advice is, as usual, excellent.

Based on our experiences for both ourselves and our clients ..

• Put together a clear brief of what you want
• Get quotes from multiple companies (the tender approach can work very well)
• Check their portfolios - and double-check that they are genuine (some companies will claim to have "done" a site when in reality they'll only have done some tiny part of it)
• Get someone who understands / has experience with web development / design to review the quotes. As ***** mentioned you will see all sorts of crazy in people's quotes. One lot tried to sell us hosting, for example
• Check what they're doing for you ie. are they using an open source CMS or forcing you to use their proprietary solution - this can lead to problems further down the line
• Ask about licenses and copyright (related to previous point, but should be asked in general)

Zascar

Thanks for the advice guys. Can anyone recommend some Irish/UK companies that you'd think would be good at this, that he should talk to?

smash

webfactory, Lightbox, continuum, ebow, webtrade, kooba, webtogether, fusio, eighttwenty, daracreative.... there's lots if you google web agencies. Try web awards and golden spider awards to see finalists too.

devildriver

Zascar wrote: »

Friend of mine is close to kicking off a pretty large idea which will be website/online business.

I'd say he could get a basic site done for one tenth, and invest the money on growing the business instead - the site can develop in time. But that's just me...

Any advice welcome - cheers

Those two statements are a bit contradictory really. The nature of the business is online but you would advocate trying to do the website on the cheap.

Some good advice above but keep in mind that the if the website IS the business then it should deserve the lion's share of the budget.

The Corinthian

smash wrote: »

webfactory

Webfactory still around? Wow.

Try web awards and golden spider awards to see finalists too.

Indeed, the ability of a Web agency to be able to book a full table or more at industry award events is a very good indicator.

tricky D

The Corinthian wrote: »

Webfactory still around? Wow.

Almost 20 years to the day.

mneylon

The Corinthian wrote: »

Indeed, the ability of a Web agency to be able to book a full table or more at industry award events is a very good indicator.

Evil

Jokes aside .. if you're going to look at web design awards which are "pay to play" are a bad idea to look at.

Both the Irish Web Awards and the Net Visionaries are free to enter are probably more likely to give you a better idea of what's out there

smash

The Corinthian wrote: »

Indeed, the ability of a Web agency to be able to book a full table or more at industry award events is a very good indicator.

Web awards is different to the golden spiders though, which yes, is a pay and win system really.

The Corinthian

smash wrote: »

Web awards is different to the golden spiders though, which yes, is a pay and win system really.

If so probably it's not the best measure of excellence to suggest to the OP, I'd imagine.

smash

The Corinthian wrote: »

If so probably it's not the best measure of excellence to suggest to the OP, I'd imagine.

It's still worth a look through the submissions. If not to look at agencies directly, look at companies who have submitted a site and see who have created them.

The Corinthian

smash wrote: »

It's still worth a look through the submissions. If not to look at agencies directly, look at companies who have submitted a site and see who have created them.

Not worth doing so without including caveats IMHO.

thomas 123

Zascar wrote: »

Friend of mine is close to kicking off a pretty large idea which will be website/online business.

Is what he wants to do closer to an online shop or a social net working site?

If it is the latter he may be better off hiring in house web developers/programmers.
You have to take into account that whatever you want to do will be limited to what the company that you choose can do. If its an online shop by all means there are many fantastic outlets that offer 5* webdesign at amazing prices. but again if its something more complex than that I would seriously consider bringing someone with the skill you need on to the project team.

Patrick Brennan

To chose a web design company always check out portfolios of their designers , their work experience with websites, core services and their designer’s experience. I would recommend you to contact PC Mechanic located in Dublin, Ireland who are very professional .

Graham

Patrick Brennan wrote: »

To chose a web design company always check out portfolios of their designers , their work experience with websites, core services and their designer’s experience. I would recommend you to contact ******* who are very professional .

No disrespect to the specific business you mentioned but I'd recommend a full-time web design company before a company that makes websites in between printer sales and PC repairs.

smash

Patrick Brennan wrote: »

To chose a web design company always check out portfolios of their designers , their work experience with websites, core services and their designer’s experience. I would recommend you to contact PC Mechanic located in Dublin, Ireland who are very professional .

Look at the top web design companies in Ireland (or even most web design companies) and they will not list who their designers are!

As for PC Mechanic, they're not a design agency, their own site isn't any good and their portfolio consists of two sites. It's very easy to see that you're touting your own business.

smcelhinney

smash wrote: »

Look at the top web design companies in Ireland (or even most web design companies) and they will not list who their designers are!

Yup, very good reason for that. Company I worked for used to do it until all their talent was poached

smash wrote: »

As for PC Mechanic, they're not a design agency, their own site isn't any good and their portfolio consists of two sites. It's very easy to see that you're touting your own business.

Very fast and loose with the term "site" there, smash!