Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there extremely cheap labor out there somewhere, but what you don't see under the hood will destroy your dream of achieving a worthy presence on the internet.

What is Really Under The Hood?

I am not trying to toot my own horn on this, but I am always amazed at how many Atlanta small business owners call us every week with their tail between their legs wondering why the last web designer they hired for $300 did not deliver. There is nothing wrong with shopping around to find a reasonable

price quote but people get what they pay for even on a deal breaker. The Value of your business presence on the web should be your primary concern.I am writing this article to backup and support my fellow web developers and designers that believe whole heartialy in their work but still struggle with being undercut by wanabe web professionals and start ups that have no experience.

I have been eating, breathing and sleeping web design and internet marketing for 12 straight years now. It does not matter whether I am explaining it to my mother, an old high school buddy or a young Entrepreneur. The web design and marketing business is like any other business. If you want to see results you

need to hire a professional. The sad dilemma is that most people that do not know much about websites and how they work see everything only skin deep. A decent high school grad or even trusted family member can push all types of eye candy at you, rotate logos or implement short-winded WOW techniques and sell you the car right off the lot. Unfortunately, in the end you will either get a bad taste for doing business on the internet or you will convince

yourself that the service is not working for you because the internet is just smoke and mirrors.

I have to admit, when I started Blue Light Labs in 2000 we had no money and were a couple of Atlanta web design junkies struggling without venture

capitol to survive. We cut corners on what we delivered to our clients because we could, we were in a world where their where no standards and

honestly we were still working for 8 dollars an hour even when omitting things that should have been implemented between the lines. The reason I'm

relating this article to cars and car maintenance is because I feel that there are similar communication issues. Most people have become used to the

idea that replicating and copying data is a new future allowing web developers and designers to produce the same product over and over for a

fraction of the price it used to be. In many respects our tools have become more advanced and user friendly, yet as we move into the future of the

internet, numerous other requirements have surfaced forcing us to be human again. Just like in the old days, hard work, honesty and devotion to your

skill prevailed!

1. Price always breaks down to time. Custom Web design is a very time consuming trade. Even after the communication is clear with the client we

have already burnt through 3hours+. A few hours researching concepts and color schemes doesn't even touch the surface of the work load required for a

small brochure site. In some cases, I will re-use some of the same code snippets in my tool box, but only the ones that have been proven to work for

a company in a similar industry. A full day of work can be spent alone going back and forth with the client on design concepts. Building the home and sub

page templates, implementing the formatting and checking browser compatibility can take up another full day at that (If it is done correctly).

Things that our clients are not aware of, or cannot visually see can throw sizable hurdles into any project. To list few:

Are The URL's Search Engine Friendly?

Does the Design avoid Tables?

Was it checked against WC3 Compliance?

Is the Site Map implemented correctly?

Are Titles Headers and Content Structure Adjusted for you to have a fighting

chance of being found on search engines?

Is it built into a CMS system with the tools to grow and expand in the future

Has the site been checked against webmaster tools for errors and cyclic links
Are all the images, flash, CSS and JS files optimized and loading correctly?

Can you pull the site up on a smart phone?

As the articles and content change with time, so does the system report

changes and modifications to Google and other search engines.

Is the Robots.txt working for the site?

Does the frame work print content before or after loading there massive

amount of formatting code which typical in cookie cutter websites.

The list above consists of about half of our checklist no matter the size or site we are delivering.

2. Knowledge and experience is the key. A web design firm that has cutting

edge experts with real world experience is worth the extra money by far. Most

experts refuse to take short cuts and would rather stay dedicated and

consistent with the quality of their work even if it cuts into their time and

pocketbook.

3. Double Checking is very important. Most of the time a designer or developer

will set the site up, give you the keys and never look at it again. A website

grows and matures with age. Watching and comparing results after the website

has some age to it is becoming a new vital part of continuously improving a

business web site.
4. Above all, great web developers are obsessed with their work. Some are

filled with drive and determination while others can unfortunately burnout.

Find a web design company that has some history (sometimes not the cheapest)

loves the work and has a sincere interest in helping you achieve your web

based goals.

Value + Honesty + Quality + Reliability= Stability