You have choices when you want to buy a new web design or SEO services. The first choice for many is to look at the “Big Box” company offerings, and that makes sense for a number of reasons.
- Comparison shopping is essential and part of the “due diligence” process.
- You can make more informed choices when you are familiar with all the players and their offerings and prices.
- You learn about what you can get and other options you might not have know before your research.
I can tell you from experience having worked for years at a Big Box Web Design and SEO firm that there are advantages and disadvantages to using the big firms. The advantages include:
- Being able to buy a product from an experienced vendor – or you hope so if the company is big.
- Having a well known brick and mortar brand name you can go back to in the future.
- The ability to look at other companies in your genre and how well they did with the big box vendor.
But there are some huge disadvantages with using the big box vendors:
- You rarely get to find out exactly what they are doing for you and how much time they are spending. Big Box attorneys might tell you this is “proprietary information” even when you pay hundreds of dollars per hour in fees and want an itimized invoice.
- Forget about being treated like an individual. Take a number and join the faceless crowd. Get treated like cattle in a herd.
- When you want one stop shopping for all your needs, the big box company can’t do that. You might have to talk with 6 different people to find the right one to help with any given problem.
- What about quality control? You cannot expect the big box vendor to have an expert take care of you in every instance… many times the bg box vendor makes a profit by getting the cheapest help to service your needs.
Why Use a Web Design Consultant Then?
By hiring an experienced web designer, you get almost ALL of the Advantages of ta Big Box provider and NONE of the disadvantages. You get treated as a person and when you talk… the consultant listens. You get an expert on the phone with one call every time. You get the experience and professionalism you are looking for without sacrificing quality in any area.
But do your homework first before you sign a web design or SEO contract. Being an educated consumer has real advantages when you trust your company’s reputation and earning potential to another firm. When you go with the big box company you are swimming with a school of fish in the sea. If you are fortunate enough to retain a web design consultant with tons of experience, it’s like hiring a key employee without the overhead.
