You're now ready to begin your next website and you know the number of pages that will have your site, you have collected texts, photos, logos, videos, sounds to include in your new window on the web. Yet you have to find the right person to design it, give it a professional and attractive look to show to your future visitors.

Where to find a professional webmaster?

The best way to find a professional webmaster able to complete the task is unquestionably on the web itself. Here you can see at leisure the work, approach, philosophy of each webmaster (name of a person who manufactures, creates a website) offering his services. An interesting avenue where to begin your search is to type the following expression in Google: "website design montreal" if you live in the metropolitan area to limit your choices to the professionals near you and avoid having to sort the webmaster installed elsewhere in the world. By cons, know that a webmaster can easily create a website for a client living at the other end of the planet, the contact and meetings are often not necessary in the development of a site. I myself have done sites for clients in Australia and often I never even met in person some clients who lived next door to me in Montreal!

Mega web company or small creation studio?

To help you choose your webmaster, first watch his achievements and also take the time to read detailed information contained in his own site. Do you really need a mega company to create a site made of ten or twelve pages? Surely not; a webmaster working alone or with few associates will probably do the job. And you save considerable money since production costs will be advantageously reduced. There are also chances that a small team will more quickly complete your site. In addition, you will have a more personal contact with an artist working alone than with a big studio where forty-five webmasters and eight secretaries work.

Request a detailed quote

The next step is to request a detailed estimate for the completion of your site to webmasters who have caught your attention by the quality of their work, their availability and their customer respect. Tell you in advance that prices may vary greatly from one creator to another, each having it’s own price scale.

Ask questions

Please feel free to ask specific questions to the webmasters that you contact, you are the one who is paying for the job and you have the right to know exactly what you will receive in return.

  Will he take care of everything, from start to finish in the implementation of your site?

  Is the research of availability of the domain name included in the asking price? How much will this domain cost?

  Is the web hosting included in the price? If yes, at what price will it be renewed the following year? Will you have the freedom to choose your own hosting company the year after?

  If you need photos to illustrate the pages of your site (your directors, employees, products, buildings, etc..), will they be taken by the webmaster’s company or will you negotiate this contract on your own with an independent photographer?

  Will the site optimisation prior to search engine optimization (SEO) be carried out?

  Does the price include the search engine optimization? If so, what kind of SEO will be carried out?

  What will be the deadlines for the delivery of your website? Some well organized webmasters are able to deliver a small site in only ten working days, sometimes less.

  If you later decide to add more pages to your site, what will be the price per page?

Make the right choice

These are answers that will help you make a judicious choice of the person who will design your future website and thus avoiding unpleasant surprises.

Remember that creating a website requires the investment of an important sum of money and that your relationship with your webmaster needs to be harmonious if you want your project to reach its full maturity without errors. The opposite could be a stressful and painful adventure.