Portfolio

Have they completed sites for similar organisations?

Communication

How many face-to-face meetings are required?

Software Compatibility

What are their software requirements? Does your software match theirs? (compatibility will save money as the designer may not need to re-format or convert documents/content for upload).

Hosting

Does the design company host or do they outsource? Does the host server or internal server have any restrictions on programming languages/software?

Online Promotion

What methods do the designers use? Who do they list they site with. What are their recommendations?

Print Materials

Does the company also design and print other marketing materials?

Photography

Does the designer use a photographer who can provide both web quality and print quality images? The overall look of all the material should have parity, and using too many images with different ‘looks’ appears unprofessional

Fees

Promotion

What is the fee structure? Is a deposit required? When will you be invoiced?

Proposal

Do they provide a signed agreement outlining: Budget, Timeline, Responsibilities, Maintenance/Updates?