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Things To Look For & Look Out For When Shopping For A Website or Web Designer:

        Many web developers  have developed that "auto mechanics mentality," which is to hook you in and take you for all they can.  Websites are a purchase, a service and a subscription all in one.  Some web designers take ownership (or authorship) for YOUR website (the website which you own) and have been known to hold it hostage if you decide to switch to another  web designer or design a website for yourself.   Many hold this power through the intricate, long-winded contract or long-term contract that they make you agree to.  They may bundle together your website design package with hosting charges, search engine optimization charges, domain fees, etc.  The absolute worst thing you can do is let your website designer (or anyone other than yourself) purchase your domain name for you.  By doing that you give them TOTAL CONTROL of your website AND your domain name. You cannot make any changes or moves without their OK (do you want to take a chance on asking them if you can move to another company (or do it yourself)?  You pay to have a website made - you then OWN that website (some web design companies might disagree with me on that).  With WolfDreams, it is what it is.  Low cost websites with no hidden fees, no contracts, great service and no hassles.  I treat my customers as my friends.  My goal is to get your website online and help you get your message out - make it work for you.

        Many web developers are charging hundreds of dollars (because they can and because they think you don't know any better) for flash template websites that are not very customer friendly.  For all their so called "experience" they really leave you hanging. No one can find your website and they want to charge you a lot extra for website submission (to the search engines) or search engine optimization (to give you a higher ranking). If they have your interests at heart and want to see you and your website do better, come up higher in the searches, they would do the things you need to have done (most of them don't).  This is not rocket science, although they might want you to think it is.

        Some companies lure you in with offers of low cost or free sites only to charge you high monthly fees. Or a huge annual fee, neatly divided up into monthly payments.  Some web design companies give you what you pay for, but in many cases, your website looks like everyone else's.  Or they lure you in with those "flash" intro pages that take so long to load,  only so you can "click  to enter." Flashy, yet annoying and time consuming. Your visitor may run out of patience before they get to enter your website. Eventually you find that many other businesses use that same flash intro that your web designer paid a few dollars for. You want something more individual, more unique ... more personal ... more you!

        You need to be careful in dealing with  what is known as "Search Engine Optimization."  Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a collection of things that are done to get your website to receive better search ranking (what page your website comes up on when users search certain keywords to find your business).  There are some "natural" things that a web designer can do to help your website get a better ranking and these things should not cost extra.  If these things are done correctly, you shouldn't have to have anything else done to achieve a very good page ranking (depending on the level of competition in your local business category).   I'd say the jury is still out on whether paying someone big bucks for Search Engine Optimization is effective or not.  Many businesses say they spend a good deal of money only to have their search ranking improve only slightly or not at all.  There really aren't any guarantees. Some web developers like to charge you a lot of money to submit your site to the search engines.  Most site submissions are free, although, in some cases,  it might do you more harm than good.  Most SEO things they can do for your website are a matter of doing it right the first time - completing the task at hand (rather than hook you for in for more fees).  I find that many very experienced web developers really have no clue about what makes your website come up higher in the searches and many of the ones that do use this to get more money out of you.   One of the most disturbing scams you can see through is when they offer to submit your site to 100,000 search engines for a very hefty fee (this one gets the P T Barnum "there's a sucker born every minute" award).

        Who really owns your website and domain name?  Some web developers claim they own your website and if you took them to court you just might lose (creation of art ... dreadful, but true).  Some will release your site to you, while others  might want to sell it back to you (yes, sell you back your own website). When I design your website you own it - it's yours - no strings or hassles.  At least some web designers (myself included) will offer to critique your existing website, look for errors, short comings or things they would do differently. So be it. Look beyond the hype to the bottom line ... how much is this going to cost.  You will like my answers better.   You need dependable, accountable service. Your website is too important to trust to anyone too busy, or non-caring.

Rob Cerreta (WolfDreams)