There is a science to selecting the right technology design firm to meet your needs. It begins with meeting, one-on-one, with the company's principal(s), asking the right questions, and evaluating whether they are listening to, and responding to, your needs. Some good questions to ask include:

1. What are your technical and business strengths?
2. Have you done any work for any other companies in my industry?
3. Have you ever designed/built a ______________ (fill in the blank) before?
4. My key concern(s) is/are ______________________. How would you address this/these concern(s)?
5. Tell me what technical challenges you overcame in your last project like this one.
6. To what extent will we be working directly with you?
7. How do you handle the management of the project?
8. Will I be assigned a project manager, other than yourself?
9. Is all work done in-house, or do you farm out any components of the project to other parties?
10. Do you bid these projects based on an hourly rate, or do you charge a flat rate for the project?
11. How do you handle changes in scope?

Initial Meeting Basics

While the initial meeting is not a full-blown requirements meeting, it is a good idea to have a clear idea (or ideas) of what you want out of this project. This meeting is to lay out your company's present needs or goals, so that the vendor you are meeting with has the opportunity to meet those needs. [more]

Yalia Technology Design was formed to fill a specific gap in the marketplace, as a company that offers clients something more than a traditional web design company. Pulling from expertise in the areas of technology, project management, marketing communications and branding, Yalia provides a multi-disciplinary approach to web design and custom application development. More than just a technology company - we also offer a full range of marketing services including traditional collateral design, brand consulting, online and email marketing services, search engine optimization and search engine submissions.