• From: Florida
  • Registered: 2008-12-19
  • Posts: 2,593

Topic: Portfolio: Friend or Foe? What Consumers Should Know

Yesterday, I got an email requesting to join together with them in providing web development services. This particular company was not from within the U.S. I will call them East Web.

I checked out the East Web site just out of curiousity and looked at their portfolio. They had over 50. Much of it was pretty good visually and some of them even validated.

I went one step further. I went to each and everyone of East Web clients' websites and found that serveral of them did not have the 'Site design by East Web' (or something similar). I found two that had it but it wasn't by East Web but instead by two other totally different web companies which was local in the U.S.

I emailed those two web companies asking them if these particular websites were developed by them and if so, did they know that they were listed on someone elses portfolio namely East Web?

What I found out was that these two other companies have no association with East Web and were thankful for this catch.

So in saying, I think it's vitally important for consumers to be aware that when they are looking for a web design service, they need to investigate each company's portfolio that they may possibly want to do business with.

So I like to add here some tips that will help consumers choose a web design company that is right for them. It's just off the top of my head.

First Impression:

1. Visually, did it impress you?
2. Was it easy to navigate?
3. Was it easy to read?
4. Check for misspelled words. Finding one or two for the entire site is not uncommon but if you find serveral, think twice before using them.

Portfolio:

1. Portfolio. If one exist, check to see if they are linked to the actual clients' sites.

2. Check each of the portfolio's sites. Is it the same design? If not, why not?

3. Each of the portfolio's sites may have a link at the very bottom of the page indicating that the site was design by whomever. Check to make sure that each site was designed by the web design company. If one is not listed, you can contact that particular site via email or phone call to ask who developed their site.

Contact Info:

1. Do they have a physical address? If not, how do you know where they are really located at? If one exist, verify it by check the address via local directory search (local for country's region).

2. Phone number. If one doesn't exist, move on. Phone number is important form of communications whether it be toll-free or not. Without a phone number contact, what is the point is doing business with them.

This is about all the time I have for now. Add your two-cents worth if you like.

Archive link to original post.

  • Gender: Female
  • Registered: 2008-12-21
  • Posts: 587

Re: Portfolio: Friend or Foe? What Consumers Should Know

While I agree with the overall message and would say that even if you have found the portfolio, and linked content bares the name of the design studio/company you are looking at... Contacting past clients for references is also key.

Client references should be a given if it is listed in the portfolio but in truth most assume that the client will never get a phone call or email asking about their service.



I do not always agree with the phone number and physical address aspect either. There are sometimes extenuating circumstances that make it risky to publish your address. That is gone over in detail on the old forum by others but I will say it here.

1. I work from my home office to keep my costs down. I could pay 60/year + for a post office box but I actually have been more concerned when I have seen one listed over seeing no physical address. That said... Be wary of arbitrary PO boxes masquerading as a physical location.

2. Again I work from home, and I DO have a separate phone number which is predominately for my business. I have the opposite experience from newseed but that may be based on my clientèle. In the 3-4 years I have had it published on at least one ad... I have had 6 clients contact me that way and 2 were cold calls and were at completely inappropriate times (after 9 p.m. and admittedly expecting to leave a message for the next day). I have had 10-15 companies calling me to have me "advertise" with them, and most of the contact I have coming in is existing clients, or referrals.

On top of that I also use a domainsbyproxy account for my registration.

It is a very tough call for those who work for their own company, and work from home on top of that... But if you do publish your number then make sure the phone system you use can have the ringer turned off over night.

  • Registered: 2009-06-02
  • Posts: 25

Re: Portfolio: Friend or Foe? What Consumers Should Know

DesignBySLS wrote:

I do not always agree with the phone number and physical address aspect either. There are sometimes extenuating circumstances that make it risky to publish your address. That is gone over in detail on the old forum by others but I will say it here.

Need I mention: web stalkers?

I don't advise my female clients to publish their address or phone number. Email contact, yes. Cell phone, if unlisted? Yes.

Post Office Box numbers are a sure indicator of a vaporous, fly-by-night business. It's a credibility thing. If you feel you need a "brick and mortar" address, use a mail forwarding service with a real street address.

  • Registered: 2009-07-11
  • Posts: 12

Re: Portfolio: Friend or Foe? What Consumers Should Know

Ok i agree, and disagree.

As a web designer starting up a new company i am working from home, i don't want to splash my home address on my website or on the net FULL STOP.

So I have a PO Box listed on my site, the reason, people still need to contact me via postal, and quite frankly i don't want my computers stolen.

I go and visit most of my clients where possible (melbourne Australia).

I have in the past hired people off of scriptlance.com and they have ran off with the money.

So I have learnt the hard way.

Anyway just my 2 sence.