When any business, large or small decides to improve their online presence through web design or online marketing there are plenty of options available to them in the market. It can be a difficult decision, from that company you saw with TV adverts to that friend of a friend who's a web designer and everything in between. It's important not to rush into any decisions as it's something you're going to want to get right first time!

So how do you decide?

Well I work for a small design agency so I'm always going to be bias towards choosing a local web design company, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm not right. Your website is going to be a huge investment for your firm and is a great opportunity for you to increase your market share. No matter what decision you make, no web designer is going to know your business as well as you do so the most important thing is communication and building a relationship with those who are going to create the face of your company online.

1. They are cheaper and if family free

Good web design costs money! Web designers spend years studying all aspects of web design. We have premise, insurance, legitimate software and up to date computer to purchase before we start. Your mate down the road has no overheads as he is most likely working out of this bedroom.

2. They will provides unlimited revisions

It's true that we would normally only do a couple of revisions at the most, and in general we get it right first time. But if revisions are your thing then you will be in good hands.

As I've only been here for nearly a month, my knowledge on how to build websites is ever increasing and becoming more complex. Starting from simple tasks on understanding all the technical terms and tags, to installing the more crafty gadgets that appear within a site.

Things have been getting rather busy at Wombat over the past few months so we thought it was time to take a natural step and find a new member of the team! After exploring serveral options we eventually found what we were looking for in the form of Nadene - our new apprentice:

Web design, like any business, has its sharks! The language can be technical and you can easily be confused or dazzled by a slick presentation. Thankfully there are few simple steps that can help you protect yourself from falling prey to unscrupulous web design companies.

Know your competition

Look at your competitors' websites and put yourself in the shoes of a customer. Are their websites easy to understand, do they leave you with unanswered questions? Do the websites convey a sense of trust or do they look thrown together? Web design is a visual medium and your website needs to look as professional as your competition if you are to be competitive.