Powell Creative is an award-winning advertising and graphic design firm in Nashville Tn. Specializing in branding and graphic, website, email marketing and advertising design.

Of course, we at Powell Creative are immersed in the world of web design, and we provide quotes for projects of varying scopes and sizes all the time for businesses like yours. From our firsthand experiences working with web quote newbies, we’ve compiled some pointers to help you before, during and after the quote comparison process.

BEFORE YOU REQUEST A QUOTE…

Know what your site needs to say and do.
Do your homework and some marketing introspection to determine the purpose, audience and potential content of your site, as well as the types of functionality you’re hoping for. Bookmark websites that you like as reference, and clearly list your specific requirements.

Pinpoint your website assets.
Assess if you already have the content and imagery needed to complete your site. If you don’t have good copy and/or photography, you will likely need to have those items included in the quotes.

Narrow your potential partner list.
Request quotes only from potential partners who have intrigued you through their word-of-mouth references, online portfolios and other representations of work done well.

Outline a budget.
While you may not have full understanding of what a website design might cost, you do know what your budget can sustain. Know your limits going into the process, and you’ll spare yourself and potential partners unnecessary planning, dreaming and quoting.

DURING THE QUOTE…

Level the playing field.
Give all prospects the same parameters and list of requirements so that you will be more likely to come out with apples-to-apples quotes for comparison.

Meet and greet.
If possible, have meetings with your potential partners. This will allow the chance to discern styles and personalities that you won’t necessarily find through online interactions.

Set a timeframe.
Allow potential partners reasonable time to prepare quotes but hold to a deadline for submission. That may be a good indicator of who’ll be most responsive long term.

AFTER THE QUOTE…

Make it all about you.
Make sure the quotes address all your requirements. Use the process of elimination if you find a potential vendor misses one or more of your clearly stated directives. If they didn’t hear you during the pitch, they surely won’t after they’ve landed your business.

Read everything—not just the total estimated cost on the last page.
Don’t make decisions based solely on price. Thoroughly read the quotes to understand the approaches, details and services enfolded into the final numbers.

Remember web design is about so much more than appearance.
Great web design is only one-part looks; you need a site designed for ease of navigation, that’s mobile friendly and readily found through web search. Narrow your list to only those potential partners who address these essential aspects of your website.

Keep an eye on the time.
Make a decision as promptly as possible, as that’s more efficient and thoughtful for all parties involved. Not to mention, web designers stay rather busy these days, and the sooner you can get on a work schedule the better.

Please contact us today to discuss your new website. Or, if you prefer, we can function as your consultant in establishing an RFP for your upcoming website project.