Choosing the right web development agency can be the difference between getting right the first time or throwing good money after bad by having to rework the project at a later date.

I offer you this advice without prejudice because if you are not the right client for my agency, then I'd rather not take on a relationship that doesn't work for either party.

From my own experience, here are some things to consider:

* Budget -
Be realistic when it comes to what you expect as compared to what you are prepared to pay. If you are quoted $250 for a web site then you have to expect that it will not be of a professional standard - although in some cases, that might be all you need.

The average hourly rate for web development in Australia ranges from $80 to $150 an hour. If you are quoted less than these figures, you might want to verify that the work is being carried out in Australia.

* In person meetings -
Are you the type of client that likes to deal with your suppliers face to face? If so, state this up front as part of your brief because some agencies might not want to take you on. Even in this day and age of digital communications, it's nice to have that first face to face meeting. If your angency isn't keen to have at least this initial meeting, I wouldnt bother with them.

* Ongoing costs
Establish up front what it will cost you to keep the website updated on a regular basis. Usually the hourly rate will apply to basic textual updates which shouldn't take more than an hour or two unless you are making major content changes. You should also consider building your site within a Content Management System which will allow you to make most of the basic changes yourself.

* Hidden Costs
Having worked for many different agencies, from the best to the absolute worst, i have seen my fair share of smoke and mirrors when it comes to client invoicing.

My absolute pet hate is one that most agencies use.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT FEE!
Agencies will apply a fee of up to 20% to cover project management.

Project management should be an included service - it shouldn't be an additional cost. Of course the project needs to be managed properly, that's why you have hired the agency in the first place. This is an assumed service that the agency should provide and shouldn't be passed on to the customer.

Retainer Agreements - Do not sign one!
Agencies love nothing more than signing you up to a set amount of development hours each month to cover the ongoing development of your site.
A typical deal would be; rather paying the base rate of $150 an hour, we'll charge you $120 an hour but in return we need you to commit to buying 10 hours per month, for 12 months - whether you use them or not.
If you sign up for a retainer deal, all you are doing is providing a cashcow and securing their bottom line!

I can tell you, these "retainer hours" are never tracked and accounted for properly, so any savings you make on the hourly rate are by far outweighed by over-charging you for hours that were never used.

Testimonials
While many sites will proudly show off their best client testimonials....very few advertise their clients complaints! Why not send an email to one of their current clients and get an unbiased opinion? Just select a site from the agencies portfolio of work and find their contact details - it's pretty easy to do. I don't condone unsolicited emails, however I doubt that anyone would mind.

What Programming Language Is Your Site Being Created in and Do you own it?
While it's unlikely that you will be well versed with all of the programming languages available, it would be prudent of you to at least ask the question in regards to the programming of your site. You also should ensure that YOU OWN THE WEB SITE CODE! Therefore, if you decide to take your business elsewhere in 6 months time, you don't want to hear that can't reuse it because it will not work on any other network or that you do not actually own the code at all!

Get competitive quotes?
Unlike getting three competitive quotes to fix the dent in your drivers side car door, I believe it's almost a waste of time getting a multiple quotes when pricing a new web site.
You will NEVER be comparing apples with apples as every company works in a different way, with different strengths and weaknesses.

You are best advised to work out exactly what you wish to achieve and exactly what you wish to spend - from there you should just try and find an agency that is good fit with your expectations.

A simple check list with regards to what you are looking for in a web agency might be this:

• Location - If you are keen to meet on a weekly basis and your web designer is based 50kms away, then that may be a hassle.
• Design - Look at the other web sites they have built. Does their style suit what you have in mind?
• Price - ask up front what their hourly rate is and that there are no set up costs or anything that commits you to the agency beyond the build of the project that they are quoting for.
• Open source products - this is very important! Don't spend good money building a web site in somebody proprietary Content Management System. This ties you to the agency that own the system for life....well you could change over to another system however it would be a huge job. Make sure the agency uses open source products and programming languages that can be moved across to other agencies or web developers with ease.
  
  If you have any questions with regards to the above, contact Tony ay Gallivant Design.