These days, it seems that everybody has a nephew, neighbor, or cousin who is a self-proclaimed "web developer" or "web designer." In any given place of business, a quick and easy solution to finding the right person to build an online presence would seem to be to simply network and "ask around." Perhaps the V.P.'s son is a graphic designer. Perhaps the secretary's cousin owns a hosting company. It could be a great idea to kill two birds with one stone by getting a good deal on your company's web site while helping out an employee's relative or friend, right?

In almost all cases, wrong. Most graphic designers are not hosting experts. Most hosting companies do not employ full-time, in-house web promotion experts. Most search engine optimization specialists are not artists or designers. This is more important than you may think.

When searching for a firm to build your online presence, it is key to remember one word: Integration. Is the firm a web-crafting firm (a firm that offers services in all areas of creating an online presence-hosting, visual interfacing, structure and navigation, applications, content, design, maintenance, and promotion)? Is the firm lead by a knowledgeable Web Partner who acts as a team captain and has the experience and capability to supply you with a holistic plan for development?

The problem that business owners face in choosing the right firm to build an online presence is that there are very few "standards" in the Internet Industry against which to judge the credibility of such a firm. Most other professions and fields do have such standards so that potential clients and customers have a means of crosschecking and verifying the validity and quality of a service or product. For example, doctors have A.M.A.s and other field-specific certifications. As a patient, you can also check complaints bureaus to find out if a doctor has been sued for malpractice.

There are a few small associations springing up in the world of web development and design (like the International Webmasters Association and the HTML Writers Guild), but many of these types of organizations have no real power; becoming a member is so easy that it can be almost meaningless.

There are some organizations that provide recognized web-related certifications, but their processes are not objective. For example, Microsoft's engineer certification (MCSC) is not only limited to Microsoft systems, but also requires re-certification for new system versions. The next level is the certification of an entire company, which requires that two engineers within the company be Microsoft-certified engineers. Even if certification and re-certification of two in-house engineers is completed, it remains that there will be a restriction of use (Microsoft systems only).

Using these more expensive systems forces the firm to charge clients more in order to cover cost. Although beneficial for system implementation, the value of such certifications is questionable in relation to web-related activities. This is especially true since potential clients and customers rarely inquire about certification since there are no standards. The problem is circular.

Amidst such a growing, changing, and at times ambiguous field of work, it is left up to you to educate yourself to choose the right firm to build your online presence. The first step in finding and hiring the best for the job is resourceful research. Visiting your competitors' web sites and finding out who built them is one starting point. Asking colleagues and associates for referrals of a professional nature is another starting point. (But beware of recommendations from friends who have not judged the referenced sites following similar criteria as outlined here.) The best methods include submitting a query on a search engine online for firms that may be able to provide you with the services that you need. After all, this gives you the opportunity to quickly identify if the firm uses the web effectively, itself.

After a list is created from your potential leads, the next step is to locate examples. The primary source for sample work should be a firm's portfolio on its web site. If they do not have a web site, can you trust them to build one for you? If they do have a web site but do not have a portfolio, can you trust that their work is—at a minimum—decent, and that they really know what should go into a web site? Experience is of the utmost importance.

When reviewing a firm's portfolio, personal taste should not be the main criterion by which to form opinions. Here are some examples of types of questions not to ask yourself: "Are the sites in the portfolio pretty or 'cool?'"; "Do I like the colors and images?"; "Do the sites in the portfolio have flashy images and a lot of animation?"; or even "Do I like the sites in the portfolio?"

Whether a site is actually "good or not" is based on far more than cosmetic issues. One has to know what the site was supposed to accomplish in the first place, before assessing the site's success. This is called judging for design as it relates to function. Visual appeal and form are definitely part of it, but they must be subservient to the site's functionality. You wouldn't buy a power drill just because of its sleek design, without making sure that it did the job it was supposed to do, would you?

Here is another example: a web site designed to sell baby toys might incorporate pastels in its color scheme. The important question is not whether pastels are your favorite shades, but rather if the design acts in support of the function of the site--to create an atmosphere which entices customers to buy its particular products.

Or, if a site's function is to sell widgets, for example, and you see that the site has a shopping cart, you might assume that the site fulfills its function. Actually, however, there are dozens of poor decisions that can be made and hundreds of things that can go wrong, in regards to e-commerce sites and shopping carts. This is why it is crucial to know as much as you can about the purpose of a site and about how web sites work, in general, before passing judgment.

It is important to find solid proof that a firm can implement design techniques, build functionality, host your web site, and implement the necessary promotion programs needed to achieve your site's objectives. (Even better is if the firm's site includes case studies that show exactly how a client's web presence helped to achieve its business goals.)

It's a good sign if there are client testimonials posted on the web site, but this is not enough to assess if the firm is truly qualified. Speaking with the firm's previous and/or current clients is the best way to find proof of a firm's work experience. Good questions to ask are:

• Is the firm directed by a knowledgeable, strategic-minded Web Partner who acts as a team captain?
• Has having an online presence enhanced your business?
• What is the firm's expertise level?
• What is your overall experience with this firm?
• Has your business grown as a result of the firm's work, if that was indeed one of your objectives?
• If you had clear, well-defined goals, how quickly did the firm zero in on a plan for you?
• If you did not have set goals, was the firm instrumental in helping to define them, through educating you and asking relevant questions?
• What have you learned as a result of working with the firm?
• How did the project turn out differently than you had originally expected?
• Did the firm help to educate you in order to help you achieve your goals?

This phase of your research should go far beyond the base questions of "Is the firm's staff friendly and helpful?" "Do they deliver products and services on time?" and "Do they stay within budget?" These types of questions are relevant but will only go as far as establishing whether or not the firm consists of decent, legitimate people who can do an average job. Mediocrity is not a characteristic you want in your web-crafting firm. What you really need to know is "Is this firm exceptional?"

If you are lucky enough to narrow down your list to two or more seemingly qualified firms, there is really only way to theoretically compare them "apples to apples," and that is by hourly rate. This is true only if you can assume that they work at the same speed, with the same experience, resources, attention to detail, and quality.

While your resourceful research is on one hand external, it should also be internal. One of the most important steps in preparing your company for its new web site is to go through a serious evaluation of your company's own needs and how an online presence will fit into your larger marketing and business strategies. Your internal Project Head (who acts as a Point Man) should be one of the key players in making these evaluations, so that he becomes the clear channel through which your company's values, needs, and goals are communicated to your Web Partner. It is crucial not to skimp on this aspect of developing your web site.

Defining your web site goals is like any other aspect of business that requires research, time, and the knowledge of how "this step" will fit into your larger strategy. Any firm that offers you a fixed bid without knowing vital information about your larger objectives and specific business details is not a qualified firm and will provide you with nothing short of a waste of your time and money.

Here is an example. Let's say your goal is to sell cookies. You go to a potential firm and ask for an estimate on a cookie-selling web site. Any qualified specialist will know that much more information is needed to clearly define what kind of web site you should have, or how much it will cost. What kinds of cookies are you selling? Are they your mother's cookies? Are you Nabisco? Who will you sell them to? Why? For how much? How will customers order your cookies? How many cookies do you anticipate selling? What are the other aspects of your marketing and sales campaigns? Do you have printed materials, radio advertisements, etc.?

Researching your options for the right web-crafting firm with a Web Partner as leader and liaison, and forming your own initial needs and goals are essential in building a strong online presence. These two steps are the ones from which your site will grow and bloom. It is probably becoming clear that the one thing developing a web site is not—and should not be—is easy. (Not if you want to get the most out of it.)