we would say that, would'nt we?!

no-one we have spoken to ever went with a supplier because they thought they were going to be bad, miss deadlines, build a website that did not work or over charge them.

We are different from the majority of web presence and social media marketing companies out there - we do keep our end of the bargain and will bring ideas, enthusiasm and professionalism to the table - all we ask is that you do the same.

There are many really good website designers and developers in Northern Ireland, we would like to think that we are one of them and if we do not have the required skills for your job, then one thing we can guarantee we know the right company who do!

 sounds obvious does'nt it? But we never cease to be amazed at the number of companies who, when it comes to websites and doing business online, seem to hand complete trust over to a guy who walks into their office and sells them a pup! When we listen to the things that went wrong, the stories are always very similar.

so what can you do? Choosing a web partner is no more complicated than choosing any other supplier, just because it involves technology does not have to make it any more complicated. Well here's what we suggest  ....

• Be clear what you want from your online presence. Remember the "what makes a good web presence?" question - you are the only one who can answer that for your business. So before you speak to anyone (including us!) it would pay you to spend a little time coming up with your answer to that question. It be 1 line long or 111 points long - but it's YOUR answer to that question. Then when you begin to talk to potential web partners, they can suggest what THEIR answer to that question would be for your business and the discussion can start.
• Do YOUR research! If you are thinking about developing a web presence about setting up a salt cave (very recent example!) then go to Google and search for "salt caves". See  what Google knows about salt caves - who else has one, where are they located, how much do they charge for a session, what do the caves look like online, have they got online booking, is the website easy to use, does the website look good (in your opinion), send them an enquiry and see how long it takes them to respond etc. Doing this research gives you an idea about what the online competition for your product or service actually is and may give you ideas as to what you want to include in your website and what you want to avoid in your website.
• Make a list. When you are doing this online research, make a list and keep notes. Make a list of websites you have visited and keep notes about what you liked and what you did not like, what worked for you about that website and what did not work. All this will help you when you talk to a web partner because rather than trying to explain what you have in mind you can point to actual websites and tell them exactly what you liked and what you did not like. It will also allow you to have the same conversation with all the designers - because without doing this research and keeping notes - there is no doubt that you will have 3 meetings with 3 different website designers and each of them will walk away with their own interpretation of what you said. Lists and websites you can point to increase the chances that all 3 guys will be quoting you for the same thing.
• Get written quotations. OK, the boring bit now. Get written quotations with prices, deliverables, timelines and payment terms all based on the brief you gave them through your lists and websites you pointed them to.
• Read the quotations and understand them! Now, at the risk of offending anyone - do not be an idiot and buy something you do not fully understand. Read the quote and make sure that if technical jargon is used that it is fully explained to you - what it is and the consequences of using that technology. If you do not understand it then use our old friend Google. If someone says in their quote that they are going to build your site in ASP, PHP, .NET or HTML - understand a little about what that means - use Google and at least find out the basics about what you are buying.
• get answers to these questions. We would suggest that you get answers to these questions - we will tell our answers to these questions at the very end!

Do I own the domain name - will it be registered in my name?

Can the website be hosted with anyone or do I have to use the hosting you suggest?

Will you give all the usernames and passwords for my website?

What technology will you be using to build my website - is it database driven (what is the name of the database platform), is it straight HTML, are you using Flash - just tell me broadly what technology you are using to build my website?

Can I manage ALL the content myself on the website? Can I change title tags (if they say "what's a title tag?" - just end the conversation there and then!), can I change the menu items - for example, can I add a menu item called "Special Offers" and take a menu item out if I wish?

What happens if our relationship breaks down? If I want to move to another designer can I take my website with me?

Is there an annual or monthly charge for anything? If so, what am I paying for and how much is it?

If you are taking payment on your website, ask what payment provider they are suggesting using, ask how much the set up costs will be, what is the cost pf processing the payment, are credit card details recorded by your website or not. Then whatever payment provider they are suggesting to use - Google it and learn everything you can about that payment provider.

Basic questions but hugely overlooked when companies pick a web partner.

• Next, Google the web companies!! You are picking a web partner so Google the company and see what the web has to say about them. Its fine looking at a company's portfolio and getting them to refer you a few companied who "would be happy to talk to you" but the web is full of what is known as "user generated content" or put another way, people talking online through Facebook, Twitter, forums, review sites such as Lookaly - don't just take your suppliers word for it - check them out!
• Bite the bullet! Well, you've asked the questions, you done the research - at some point you have to make a choice. All you can do is minimise the risk of making the wrong choice by doing what we have suggested - they are no guarantees - except to us of course! Once your supplier is chosen - here's our plea to you - no matter who you use, remember, it is YOUR business and YOUR project - get involved, contribute and work with your supplier. As good as many of us are, we are not miracle workers, we cannot understand your business better than you and you will have to help us to design your great presence.