Should you hire a freelance web designer or a web design company for your web site?
Web design companies typically offer a variety of services under one roof, a posh meeting place, and a large pool of creative talent. Presumably, they have enough people with enough know-how to keep any website project from going awry. Polished people with polished presentations are ready to persuade the most web-challenged CEO to approve website funding. This is exactly what some companies need and have money to pay for.
Stability is also an oft-touted benefit of working with a company. But I've seen web design firms change names, owners, locations and employees so fast it'd make your head spin even by today's standards. So don't stake too much on the "here for the long haul" claims.
Some of those employees jump ship to become freelancers with all the same talent they had when working for the big firm. And most good freelance web designers are very well-networked so you don't necessarily miss out on that pool of creative talent. You may, however, have to forego the posh meeting place.
The Truth According to Me (and my experience)
Myth: Spending thousands of dollars will get you a great web site.
Truth: There are many things that factor into a great web site and money can't buy them all.
Myth: Working with a web design company will get you a great web site.
Truth: Sigh. Do you think every website featured on Web Pages That Suck was done by a freelancer?
Myth: Web design companies are outrageously over-priced.
Truth: Some are reasonably-priced and well worth every penny.
Myth: Freelancers are inexpensive.
Truth: Some can be over-priced—you still have to shop and compare. But although not always inexpensive, I would say they're usually "less" expensive for the same quality.
