Website Design Services for Columbia, MO:
Web Site Design That WORKS

Website design confuses more people and causes more problems than just about any other marketing method that a business person might employ.  If you ask a business owner why they don't have a website, most know that they SHOULD - they're just baffled by the process of hiring a web design company and confused by how all that Internet "stuff" works.

Even people who have existing websites usually don't know much about them, and very few track sales, site visits, traffic et cetera in meaningful ways.  Which means they don't REALLY know if that website design they paid for is actually making them money!

So how DO you choose a website design company?

Anyone can take a course or buy some software and call themselves a "web designer." 

In my opinion, it's not about being able to manually write HTML code or work with languages such as JavaScript.  Many extremely effective websites are not technically advanced, and it's fairly easy to outsource technical work if it IS necessary.

What's crucial to your website's success is how well it functions to generate leads or make sales for you, when (and IF) your prospects find it.

That means your web design company should understand and practice "user-friendly" web design.  You want a web design person who understands SEO (search engine optimization) - how search engines work to rank websites.  You want a website design company who can see how your website fits into your overall marketing strategy, both on the 'Net and off.

You want a web designer who knows that the purpose of your website is to increase your revenue!

Look for a website designer who:

• Asks a lot of questions about you and your business - who you're trying to reach, what products/services you offer, how you market offline, what words people might enter into the search engines to find you, et cetera.

• Takes the time to explain things in terms you can understand.

• Has actually gotten websites ranked in Google's top 10 - who shows evidence of understanding how the search engines work to rank websites.

• Clearly lays out prices and options.  Sometimes it's impossible to get an accurate web design estimate until you've discussed content and features - forms, newsletters, blogs, membership sites, shopping carts etc. usually add to the cost of a site.

• Explains ongoing fees such as maintenance and hosting so that you can budget accordingly.  Be sure to clarify who's responsible for what, after the site is done, especially as far as updates.  If you want to update the website yourself, tell your web designer upfront so that he/she can make it easy for you to do so.

• Doesn't "hide" who owns the site, where the source files are, and how to access services used.

• Can complete your site on a timely basis.  Good web designers may be booked up a month or two in advance, so you may have to wait for the web designer of choice, but he/she should be able to meet deadlines once work has begun.

• Is easy to get along with, someone you like!

Web design companies are plentiful in most locations, and the highest-priced company is not always the best.  Be sure to ask around, ask for references, and take the time to talk to more than one website designer before making a decision.