Today, there are literally millions of options to choose. A business website can be free of cost to thousands of dollars. The project process can range from a few hours to several months. Most importantly, your business image may appear poorly amateur or, preferrably, very professional. With this wide spectrum of results, how do you determine which web design company is right for you? To ease this search, below are 20 questions to ask web design companies. It will separate the real result-getters from the rest.

1. How many years have you been building websites? Usually, a company with more years of experience is preferred over the other. However, a more relevant question is whether the company is still technologically up-to-date and designing websites according to tomorrow's standards.
2. What is the largest project you have worked on and why? A company with well known clients generally is more credible.
3. Where can I see samples of your previous work? A company with an online portfolio is able to display past projects to the public.
4. What industries have you created websites for? A company that is familiar with your industry can be very beneficial.
5. How do you measure success of your websites? Some measure it by the website design. Others measure it by the amount of incoming traffic. It all depends on what the client wants out of the website.
6. Do you have a formal project process? A company that has developed a process will be more organized and easier to follow.
7. What do the clients have to provide? Usually clients will have to provide the text, images, and feedback. If the client cannot provide these, ask if the web design company offer services to buy stock photos and copywriting.
8. How do we communicate about this project? Communicating by email is usually more convenient and more effective, however, a client can address their needs better by telephone.
9. Do I own the code after completion of the project? Make sure the answer is YES. You paid for the codes therefore you should own it.
10. How long will it take? A typical small business website takes up to a month. It usually depends on how involved the client is.
11. How much will my project cost? There is usually a base package. For example: A five page website costs $1,000. Additional pages costs $100 each.
12. What is the payment structure? There is usually a down payment of 33%. Another 33% is due usually during development phase. Final payment is due when the website goes live online.
13. What softwares do you use? Companies that use softwares such as Dreamweaver, Frontpage, GoLive, or in-house application tend to complete the project faster. However, hand-coded websites tend to have cleaner codes. This is not all too important but it is nice know.
14. Are your codes clean and according to open standards? A clean-coded website loads up quicker. Also, clean-coded websites are more portable if you ever decide to switch to another web design company in the future.
15. What browsers do you test the websites on? Testing should be done at minimum on the following browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Netscape.
16. I want Flash animation. Can you provide that? Flash animation can add an extra edge to a website. Too much will hurt.
17. Do you provide hosting? Companies that can provide this will usually give you a discount for having them design your website.
18. Do I have to host my website with you? The answer should be NO. If their web hosting ever becomes unreliable, you should have the right to have your website hosted elsewhere.
19. Are you able to create online shopping carts? If you plan to do e-commerce in the future, a web design company should have the resources to provide this service.
20. How will my website be maintained? Ask for web maintenance plans if you don't want to deal with the codes. If you want to cut down on cost, ask if the website is compatible Macromedia Contribute.

Ly Nguyen is a web producer at Bicdream Studio, a web design firm devoted to creative web strategies. For additional FREE resources, visit http://www.bicdream.com/resources