Choosing a Web Production Company
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Once you've determined that Internet presence will benefit your business, you
must decide how to handle the design and implementation of your website. You get
one chance to make a first impression, especially on the Internet, as it grows
and users' attention spans shrink. Are you going to "do it yourself"?
You're busy with your business--now you are going to add the tasks of website
design, creation, hosting, registration, maintenance, and promotion to your
already burgeoning list of projects? Having a website is an ongoing process--you
just don't plop it out there, then sit back and wait. That's not the nature of
this ever-changing medium. You will have to be as flexible--if not more so--than
the Internet.
With that in mind, it is most likely that you would be better off letting
experts tackle the additional work required to make your website successful. A
tempting and often initially inexpensive option some hurried business owners
take is having that second cousin once-removed who's good with computers build
the site. While there have been success stories from that situation, it is more
likely that this person will not be able to provide the care and feeding the new
website will require, and you'll have an ultimately expensive false start.
Consider that the right web production company can make online presence most
useful for you and your services. The Internet is nothing more than another
tool--albeit an effective one--to promote your business. A competent web
production company is the craftsmaster to help you utilize that tool to its
fullest extent. One thing that is essential to know is that having a website
should still be only a PART of your company's mission and promotion plan--not
just an individual business project. You will still want to pursue previously
successful advertising and promotion means. With your new website you will be
cultivating "intermedia synergy"--traditional promotion and
communication methods support the new technology and vice-versa.
When seeking a web production company, become aware of the variety of
organizations claiming to be such. A caution about the "single
webmaster" production company: despite this person having more skills than
your second cousin--and even a professional reputation--the inability of the
best-intentioned individual to keep up with all the tools and technology of
Internet design and promotion can hurt your plans in the long run. A web
production company has the full-service design and marketing capabilities of a
number of people. Beware the ad agencies, as they are usually subcontracting and
that may hinder the development of the necessary relationship between you and
the web designer that will make and keep your website effective. There are also
graphic design firms/studios passing themselves off as web designers, as they
incorporate code and programs in their arsenal. Code is not enough--knowing HTML
does not a webmaster make. The accumulation of industry software (such as the
web authoring programs Frontpage, PageMill, and GoLive) does not mean that
expertise grows as well. You want a company that is web-based--not stuck in
print media mindset. There is a big difference between the creation of paper vs.
electronic brochures. Make sure the web production company knows it.
There are several more things to keep in the forefront of your mind and plans
in your search for a legitimate web production company. A good start is to look
at THEIR website, which for obvious reason they had better have! Do you like the
look of the site? Is it easy to navigate and find out what the company is about?
See if you can tell whether they have a marketing or computer programming
background. Companies that came up through technical backgrounds tend to be weak
on visual appeal and effectiveness. It should be a simple matter to contact the
web production company to ask any questions that may arise from checking out
their site.
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