• Why Your Business Should be on the Web
• Introduction to Digital Media Solutions Ltd
• What is the World Wide Web
• Using Technology as a marketing Tool
• Getting Connected To The World Wide Web
• How to Choose a Designer
• Internet Trends & Statistics
• Taking a Closer Look at Success
• Opportunities For Your Company on the Web
• Getting Started & Dealing with Agencies
• Ingredients For Success
• Targeting: Internet marketing
• The Proposition: Content & Copy
• The Design: Layout & Image
• 10 Steps to a Successful Site
• How We Can Help Your Business
• The Services of Digital Media Solutions Ltd

Most web designers come from creative and advertising backgrounds. As such they are well suited to producing sites that look good and increase brand awareness. This is fine for larger business clients - however small businesses require direct response from their advertising.

Web page design is a very specialised area. It is a cross between graphic design, programming, copywriting and marketing. However different agencies have different strengths and weaknesses.

As the main purpose of a business web site in the SME sector is marketing. The overriding factor in deciding on an agency is whether they can develop your site as an effective promotional tool. Therefore out of all the abilities an agency should possess, by far the most important is direct marketing skills; because without applying effective marketing techniques to the site - a good design will be of little use for your business.

How Do You Judge An Agencies Ability

The work that the agency has done will be available for you to view on the web. The web site of most agencies will have a list or portfolio of their clients sites. These will show either direct links to the current clients or displays of the designs they have produced.

The exception to this rule is new start up agencies. In this case their own web site is the best sample of their work. In the absence of a portfolio, they should have a style guide showing the types of designs they can produce. There should also be at least one or two real examples of their work.

These new agencies can be an extremely valuable resource for getting professional quality sites at well below their true market value. This is because although the agency may have the expertise - they do not have a reputation to fall back on. They therefore have to reduce their prices until they build up their name.