So, you have your recommended web design companies, and maybe one thrown in for good measure that you found yourself and thought was a viable option. The next thing you do is a little research on the companies own websites. Are they easy to navigate, does the colour scheme work, can you find the information you're looking for easily and within a few clicks of the homepage? Do any of the pages have dead links that point to nowhere, is the text, image and general layout clear and easy to read or view? Spelling mistakes - are there any? Also check out their portfolio - see what other work they've done for clients recently.

You should now have a good idea of what you like, and are ready to contact them. You can pursue whichever avenue you like here - maybe an email first to see how promptly they respond to that, either asking for a call back, or following it up yourself with a call of your own. Is the company responsive, do they return your communication promptly? We're not counting the second hand on a stopwatch here, but most companies try to respond to enquiries within 24 hours or so. Print out a sheet for each company with the most important questions you can think of, and leave room for notes - you'll be thinking of plenty of q
uestions as you speak to your prospective web design companies over the phone or via email. Take notes as you speak to them for comparison later on, it really does pay dividends.

Now you should be armed with some reasonable facts distilled from your research. It may be seen as boring, and it's easy to feel that you are not making any progress as you're not seeing your website being built. But these steps are as critical as any others to ensure your project ends up being a success, not a financial liability.

Quick Tips:

Research the provider's website for the following:
* easy to navigate?
* dead links?
* spelling mistakes?
* general layout clear?
* portfolio - do you like it?
* when contacted, do they respond swiftly?
* are they helpful?

If you answered Yes to Questions 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 and No to Questions 2 and 3, then you've found one company that meets your requirements. The next step for you to take is to look for other similar companies. Then, ask yourself the final questions: Are these companies situated locally so that you will be able to run to them or run after them if something goes wrong? Are these companies capable of building long term relationships? The next natural thing for you to do is compare, contrast and decide!