I get asked a lot about the web design process, and am a firm believer that if your business or organization is based in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Indio or even Desert Hot Springs, you are best served by hiring a designer who lives here too. Hiring a web design firm is an important task. Make it easier on yourself by making sure to hire a local web design company. There are plenty of good reasons for hiring local as outlined below.
Better Communication
Have a question about your website? Are you just not doing as well in the search engines as you would like? Go meet with your local web designer face to face. A face to face meeting is the best way to communicate, and with your designer only minutes away, it is the best way to talk about difficult technical issues.
Better Accountability
A web designer who is local is held more accountable by being near his or her clients. Word travels fast, and especially if it’s a poorly run business, other people are going to find out. That’s death to a small business, and no web designer wants to get a bad reputation.
You’re just more likely to get a web designer who is invested in the project if he is local to your area. There’s more at stake to him than just your project.
What About Specialization Web Design Firms?
There are many web design firms that specialize in a certain “type” of website, such as websites for lawyers, or websites for veterinarians, or websites for dentists, etc. They get clients by specializing in this area, but are they actually good at what they do?
Some firms like these may be adequate, but do your homework. Many make their money from providing a cookie cutter website, a load of extra services that you probably don’t want, and yet they overcharge.
People hire these types of companies because they claim to “specialize” in their industry…but really they just target that niche. They aren’t necessarily any more qualified to create a website for a veterinary clinic than any other web design firm, but because they claim to specialize in that field, they seem like a good option.
Again, sometimes they are a good option. Just don’t automatically hire them because they claim to specialize in your industry. Compare prices, compare portfolios, and if there’s ever any doubt, always choose local.
What About National Companies?
Many people will get a marketing firm like VistaPrint, GoDaddy, or a similar agency to design a website for them. Whether you do a cookie-cutter design or if they actually design a website for you, we don’t recommend this option either. Having a smaller, local company handle your internet marketing and website is a much better option.
Dangers of Hiring an Overseas Web Design Company
Even riskier than hiring a web designer from the other side of the state or country is hiring a web design company from overseas. There are a lot of other factors to consider.
Quality Work
Knowing you are getting quality work is difficult when you hire an overseas web design company. It’s hard to know how legitimate a company is when they’re so far away and in another country. You don’t want to end up paying twice for the same work if it has to be redone.
Lack of Trust
Another main problem with hiring overseas is the lack of trust. It is difficult to identify the reputation of the overseas company. Identify theft is another concern when paying for services offshore.
When it comes to risk vs. reward, going local is the right choice. There isn’t a good argument for not going local, and by choosing a local web design firm you’re definitely more likely to have a successful website.