There are a number of ways to search for a Web design company. Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses, so a combination of the different approaches will be your best bet for finding a Web design firm to match your needs.

Determine the Web design firm that is responsible for the Web sites of organizations that you admire. These organizations may be your competitors, or in related or unrelated industries. Sometimes the Web design firm is included in the site credits, or is listed elsewhere on the Web site.

If you cannot find the credits on the site itself, contact the organization and ask which Web design company is responsible for the Web site. Ask business acquaintances, friends, and family which Web design firm designed the Web site for their respective organizations, or if they can otherwise recommend a Web design firm. Find out what the individuals responsible liked or disliked about working with the various Web design firms.

From the list of potential Web design firms, your organization’s goal should now be to create a shortlist of 3-5 that are best suited for your project.

Examine the portfolio: Do the projects in the portfolio have a consistent quality? Enquire which designers are responsible for the portfolio pieces you admire most, and confirm that these individuals are still with the company.

Has the Web design firm provided solutions to other companies in your industry? Have they dealt with similar challenges to those faced by your organization? They may be able to address your immediate needs, but will they be able to provide solutions 6 months down the road, or 1 year later, or 5 years later?

A Web design firm that has worked with clients in many geographical locations will have a more global approach to your Web site.

Does the Web design firm have a clearly stated process for designing and developing Web sites? Do they spend enough time understanding your Web site goals and planning how those will be achieved? Avoid selecting an individual designer on a freelance basis. What kind of value-added products or services can the design firm offer?

Get proposals: Once you have selected your top Web design firms, request that they send you a proposal. Ask that their proposal include an overview of your requirements and their proposed solution. This will help to determine which Web design firm understands your requirements best. Also ask that each Web design company include a description of their development process and a price breakdown for the various aspects of the Web site project.

Evaluate the proposals: Start off by examining each proposal individually and evaluate the format and presentation of the proposal. The winning Web design firm will be creating your organization’s image on the Internet, viewable to millions of Internet users. How did they present themselves?

Maintain a list for each proposal and the strengths and weaknesses of the respective Web design firm based on its materials (Web site, portfolio, brochure, case studies, etc.).

After your organization has reviewed all proposals, compare them with each other. How do they fare in terms of presentation? Do they present upgrade paths for your project, going beyond the needs of the immediate goals outlined?