When you hire a web designer to create or manage your website, be very careful when searching the internet. Many small website companies go out of business and leave their clients without the information or accessibility they need to manage their website for the long term.

Other web designers hold their clients hostage by not providing them ownership and access to their domain name and hosting service.

We’ve heard of cases where clients were paying extremely high monthly subscription or hosting fees to keep their website live. In other cases, clients paid a company to design their website and the project was never completed.

Make Sure You Hire a Web Design Company with the following:

• A professional website
• Is a business operating in your own country
• Is knowledgeable in both design and marketing
• Shows you samples of websites they designed that are live, and a portfolio of designs
• Clearly explains what they will deliver and their deadlines
• Works with Adobe Software
• Has a Contract or Terms of Service Agreement on their Website
• Has good client testimonials or references
• Bills you at a flat rate for the project, not hourly
• Requires a deposit only up front and final payment upon completion
• No long term monthly rental or subscription fees
• Hosting costs no more than $9.00 per month, and includes email and traffic reports
• Provides Internet hosting service with a 99% uptime and a 24/7 phone support
• Provides you with complete ownership and access to your website hosting and domain registration account.