Following are a few general tips and suggestions to keep in mind when planning for your web site project and selecting a web design or web development firm. Basic advice, but good advice!
Do your homework
Whether you are creating your organization's first web site, or you are seeking the redesign of an existing web site, develop some idea of the style (look and feel) of the site you desire before you begin working with your web design or development provider. Search the web for sites whose structure, color schemes, navigation schemes, etc., appeal to you, and identify these sites for your provider. Look at potential web design providers' portfolios to see if they have created previously anything like what you are seeking. You can save a lot of time and money by knowing and stating your design preferences up front. Instead of starting with a completely blank canvas, your provider will have at least some creative direction with which to work.
The same is true of required functionality for your new web site. Knowing and understanding your functional requirements up front will help you choose a competent web designer or developer, and you'll save time and money after your project has begun.
In terms of developing site content and copy, you know your organization's business and objectives better than anyone, and it's usually best if you develop your site content and copy for your web designer or developer. Consider working with a web copy writer, especially if SEO is important to you. You can avoid delays in your web development project and unnecessary expense by having your web content and copy ready for your provider in advance of individual page construction.
Web design versus web technology
The best web design (graphic design) firms are often weak in the web technology department, and the best web technology (web development) firms are often weak in the web design department. Very few web design or development firms have a quality art department and a quality technology department under the same roof. So, depending on the nature of your web project and your particular needs, you may want to hire a specialized web design firm and a separate specialized web development firm for your project.
Search Engine Optimization - SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is somewhat of a black art because the search engines do not disclose their page indexing and search algorithms, and the search engines change their algorithms often in an effort to increase the relevance of search results for their users. So, SEO specialists are left to establish their SEO techniques basically through trial and error. Although SEO can be of value to many web site owners, be aware that there is no such thing as a free lunch when it comes to SEO. No one can buy organic search result preferences for you, and no one can truly guarantee page indexing statistics, search result rankings, or page rankings, especially if they include aggessive timeframes. When it comes to SEO, there is simply no substitute for good web design, compliance with web standards, clean code, and good old-fashioned soak time. Therefore, if SEO is important to you, run from inflated claims of SEO results and walk toward pragmatic and realistic approaches to SEO.
Who owns what
It seems like all buyers of web design services expect to own every aspect of their site's finished design. They seek a "work made for hire", and will not accept anything short of full ownership of the finished work product. This expectation unrealistic, and the goal of owning every aspect of one's site doesn't serve any real purpose other than not having to decide whether exceptions to outright ownership are appropriate.
Most web design or development firms simply will not grant full ownership of every aspect of the site they designed for you, and you'll save yourself a lot of time, agony and money by accepting this reality. For example, many design and development firms will use a Content Management System (CMS) that they developed on their own or have licensed from another. They will use the CMS to design your site, and you may use the CMS later to maintain your site. If it's their own CMS, it represents a corporate asset. It's how they make their living, so they're not going to transfer true ownership of that asset to you. If it's another's CMS they have licensed, they simply have no authority to transfer true ownership. The same is true of Flash programs, Java applets, Javascripts, and similar tools and programs.
Well then, at the end of the day, what should you expect to own outright? You should certainly own all of your original content (own the copyright), and you may be entitled to own the particular design (look and feel) of the site designed specifically for you. Everything else should be properly licensed to you, preferably through a royalty-free, fully paid up, one-time license fee. You want to be sure your web designer or developer either owns the intellectual property it will license to you, or it is properly authorized to sublicense nonowned intellectual property. Your provider should also indemnify you against others' infringement claims. Be sure you understand the nature of the license you receive. Most conflicts occur because a client did not understand or was not aware of recurring annual fees (other than a recurring hosting fee). Avoid "tiered" or "scaled" fees based on web site traffic, web transactions, and other variables.