Things to be aware of

Do the examples on their websites click through to an actual site or are they simply images? 

Do they offer testimonials that can be verified?

How much do they charge for hosting?  Do they claim that hosting is "free forever"

Will they accept a payment from you, without having discussed your needs first?

Do they have Terms & Conditions?  If so, read them, if not, worry!

How much will you be charged to make changes to your site in the future? 

Whose name will the domain be registered in?

  Do the examples on their websites click through to an actual site or are they simply images?

 This is a very common way for bogus designers to entice you to part with your money.  If a company is showing images of websites that they have created and you are not able to click and view the website, be suspicious.  Any genuine designers should be happy for you to view their work and it will be showcased on their own site. 
If you can click through, have a good look at the sites they have created.  Do they look genuine, or are they fabricated?  Look at the telephone number.  Many sites which designers claim to have created for clients have unlikely telephone numbers (eg 012345 111222). 

  Do they offer testimonials that can be verified?

 As with tradesmen, often the best way to gauge a web designer is on testimonials from previous clients.  If your web designer cares about the work they do, they will have asked for feedback from their previous clients and will have shown this on their own site.  Is the designer happy for you to contact previous clients to verify the testimonial?

  How much do they charge for hosting?  Do they claim that hosting is "free forever"?

 Your website needs to be securely hosted on a server - similar to you keeping important documents in a bank, for example.  Unless you are creating a very large website, the average price for your hosting should fall between £30-45 per year.  Many cheap web designers will design a website for you for under £100, but then charge you £5+ a month for hosting.  Over the years, your website ends up costing you significantly more than it should. 
If a company is offering "free hosting forever" be wary.  If something is too good to be true, it usually is.  In the same way that you wouldn't expect a bank to hold your documents securely forever without charge, the same caution needs to be applied to your website.  Perhaps they will charge you £100 a year to renew your domain name instead?  Ensure that you ask the right questions!

Will they accept a payment from you, without having discussed your needs first?

 At DK Site Design, our payment page states "we always want to discuss your requirements with you before accepting payment..." and all genuine web designers will feel the same.  Web design is a two way process and the clients needs are paramount.  We want to ensure that we both share the same vision for your website and so want to discuss it with you before we accept any payment.


  Do they have Terms & Conditions?  If so, read them, if not, worry!

 You will be paying your designer to carry out a service for you and as such, you are entering into a contract with them.  Read the terms and conditions and clarify anything you don't understand.  Read our Terms and Conditions here or find the link to them at the bottom of our pages.

  
 
How much will you be charged to make changes to your site in the future?

 For most people, having your site designed is usually just the first step.  Once it is up and running, it is common to want changes made to your site.  Perhaps you'd like to add a photograph or a testimonial, or add some more text. 
It is imperative that you know BEFORE you get your site commissioned how much this will cost and more importantly, will you be able to make changes yourself?
At DK Site Design, not only do we offer cheap web design, but we also offer a Content Management System (CMS) with all the sites that we design.  This means that if you want to, you can manage and update the site yourself.  You will receive one hours personal tutoring via the telephone, will receive a manual and have access to email support and telephone support.  We have already done the hard part for you, so for the majority of our customers, this is a simple and free way for their site to be updated.
This means that YOU can always be in control of your own site.
Should you prefer us to carry out the updates for you, we charge a fee of £20 per hour.

  Whose name will the domain be registered in?

 Regardless of who is designing your site, the domain name should always be registed in YOUR name, not your web designers name. 





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