Everyone wants to have the coolest website, and online there are millions of designers who will promise you just that, but how can you be sure that you are getting a high qaulity website, and not just a copy-cat template? For example, I have had several webmasters email me about the perfect design for my site, but none of them were able to pass the Web Developer Background check, which is as follows: 1. Do they have an active portfolio (this way you can browse their clients websites, and contact them about the service they received) 2. Can they meet your expectations (can they script a shopping cart for you, or only do the exterior design) 3. Do they use templates to design their work, or do they create everything from scratch 4. Get an estimate, and compare to competitors. You should be able to negotiate a fair price 5. Do they offer a qaulity guarantee (if you don't like it, you don't pay for it) 6. Can you watch the progress and comment on it In order for the Web Developer background check to work for you, first make a list of what you need: - What type of site do you need (cars, computers, e-store, etc.) - What type of scripting do you need (if you have a shopping cart, you will need either PHP, CGI/ Perl, or ASP) - How unique do you want your site to be - How much are you willing to pay Finally, when you interview the developer's clients (from his/her portfolio) ask them: - Was he/she friendly - How long did the site take to design - Was he/she open to suggestions - How much did he/she charge - Does he/she offer support for their site - Would you use his/her service again A good developer will have responses such as: - Was he/she friendly : yes, very friendly and very helpful - How long did the site take to design : it was finished very quickly - Was he/she open to suggestions : yes - How much did he/she charge : under $500 for regular site, under $3000 for full PHP/ ASP scripting - Does he/she offer support for their site : yes, he/she just helped me update the pages - Would you use his/her service again : definately. --------------------------------------------- For more articles on web design along with several different tools and generators for your site visit 120Host.net at http://www.120host.net Add This To Your Site - http://www.120host.net/cgi/design/tools/articles.php ---------------------------------------------