Consultants and Vendors

Every web-based business risks getting mired in an outsourcing dilemma as they seek to obtain valuable expertise that is either not present internally or in short supply. There are literally hundreds of capable consultants, vendors, and matchmaker companies out there clamoring for your dollars. For the typical web-based business to choose among the myriad of options available to it, requires that you be able to identify which consultants and vendors have the capability and commitment to help the web-based business to reach its goals.

This chapter contains information about consultant contracts, costs, types of consulting services available, when to outsource and when to do the work in-house, etc. Surprisingly, nearly all entrepreneurs and most of the brick-and-mortar businesses do not have a formal process for selecting consultants or vendors and most selections seem as random as using the flip of a coin to make the ultimate decision. But with an effective selection process in place your new website will meet the needs of everyone, including your customers.