A lot of web designers have come from graphic design or printing backgrounds and therefore do not totally understand the way the web works nor what limitations there are.

What makes things even more complicated is that the limitations of web design are still being explored. That's why it is so difficult for anybody to create a site for themselves or their business with limited knowledge or experience. Therefore most businesses tend to outsource their development to a web design firm. But which one, as it difficult to pay for something when you can't even see it before hand?

To answer this question, you should first decide what are the important factors in your decision making process. The appearance of a web site is generally considered the most important factor, however there's no point in producing a great looking site if it only loads in the latest browser, on the latest PC and then takes more than 30 seconds to load. You don't have to wait 30 seconds for your television to change channels, so why should you on the web?

Instead most web site owners are taking a step back from all the techno-garbage that is out there today and look for the following in a web site:

Simplicity
Functionality
Versatility
Easy navigatation
Fast loading
Attractive to search engines
Easy to update by the owner after development