SELECTING A CONSULTANT

At some point, every web-based business will need to retain a consultant. Consultants are the “hired guns” of the Web industry that eliminate an endless number of problems in a timely and cost effective manner due to the wealth of related experience that they bring to the table.

Your specific talent needs may be for a website architect, a web designer, a web developer, a marketing expert, a planning consultant, a security expert, or some other form of technical assistance. Formalizing an effective selection process is key to obtaining the best services for your needs.

As part of the process of sorting out your expectations and selecting your consultant, write a summary of your project and objectives. Include a concise description of your website (either as it exists, or as you anticipate it to be). This summary can be a handy reference tool when contacting prospective consultants.

To begin, assess the project’s specific requirements, review your objectives to ensure they are well-defined, then determine what your staff can handle and what you need to outsource by asking yourself and your staff:

  • How much of the work can be done in-house?
  • How much of the work is beyond your staff’s capacity and must be outsourced?
  • What is the budget?
  • Are there cost savings? If so, what is the expected payback period (i.e., ROI of hiring a consultant versus trying to do it in-house)?
  • What is your business’ commitment to the project? (In other words, after you spend time in the selection process — which in and of itself can be costly — will the project move forward to completion?)
  • What is the timetable for completing the project?

The Consultant’s Role

After the project’s objectives have been determined and prioritized you then need to compare those objectives to the types of services consultants offer. Including:

  • A specialized expertise.
  • Ability to objectively assess a specific situation.
  • A temporary supplement to your staff and knowledge base.
  • Technical and economic analysis of alternatives.
  • Development of recommendations.
  • Design and programming support.
  • Assistance with hardware/software selection.
  • Assistance with implementing operational changes.
  • Completion of one-time projects.

Consultants can help improve your website’s operations and productivity, but don’t forget that you and your staff are the experts in the operation of your web-based business; a consultant should enhance that expertise, not substitute for it. Do not depend on a consultant for decision-making — including purchasing decisions. Not uncommonly, consultants sometimes receive a commission when you (as their client) buy one of their recommended products or hire someone the consultant recommended.

The Consultant’s Qualifications

After deciding to take advantage of a consultant’s service, begin the process of identifying the type of consultant that will best meet the needs of your project. To find the right consultant:

  • Re-visit consultants you have used in the past, assess that consultant’s capabilities and limitations before deciding if you need to find another consultant.
  • Obtain referrals from other similar web-based businesses, trade associations, or consultant referral services.
  • Contact prospective consultants to identify their expertise, qualifications, and interest in your project. Request their marketing materials, including relevant educational background, experience, and professional certifications.
  • Obtain references and a list of previous clients. Checking past work performance is one of the best ways to evaluate a consultant.

When checking a consultant’s references and previous clients, find out whether the consultant has worked on projects similar in size and nature to the proposed project; has met the stated work and project deadlines; and he/she has been responsive, available and trustworthy.

On a more personal level ask:

  • If there were any problems and, if so, were the issues satisfactorily resolved?
  • If it was easy to work with the consultant?
  • Whether the consultant was knowledgeable. What was the overall impression of the consultant?
  • Find out if the final cost seemed in line with the original estimate. Ask if the final cost was more than the consultant’s original quote. If so, how much and why?

The Request for Proposal (RFP)

Once you have narrowed your selection down to three to five perspective consultants, prepare a Request for Proposal (RFP). A RFP is a formal request to the consultant describing everything you want the consultant to accomplish and requesting the consultant to write a proposal outlining how he/she would go about meeting your demands and the costs thereof. The RFP can be as informal as an email or a telephone call, but it is best presented as a formal written document. The more information it conveys, and the more specific your requests, the more the RFP enhances the consultant’s ability to draft a relevant proposal.

There are basically two types of RFPs. A defined, rigid proposal wherein is laid out, step-by-step, your goals and requirements and a more informed, creative proposal, a three to four page document simply setting out what the job will entail. The defined, rigid-style RFP allows for an easy comparison of costs, approaches and other criteria submitted by the consultant during the selection process. A creative proposal gives the consultant less structure thereby allowing for a greater diversity in response, but this approach can make the proposals more difficult to compare. Still, the creative proposal allows you to observe how the experience and knowledge of the consultant can be creatively applied to provide an exciting and unique approach to the project.

The Interview

After compiling a list of consultants whose skills fulfill your requirements, invite each consultant in for an interview. Be sure to:

  • Explain your objectives and how you view the division of labor and responsibilities between the consultant and your staff. Be specific.
  • Solicit the consultant’s opinions — an outside perspective can be valuable.
  • Set out your timeline.
  • Ask the consultant to specify who would be working on the project.

If the meeting appears to be successful, take the next step — provide a Request for Proposal (RFP) as discussed above and obtain the information necessary for you to do your due diligence. Such as:

  • Obtain a clients’ list from the perspective consultant, including names and phone numbers.
  • Find out how long the consultant has been in business.
  • Ask what kind of projects the consultant has handled.
  • Obtain samples of the consultant’s work.
  • Ascertain what resources the consultant has to complete the project, (i.e., staff, sub-contracting, etc.).
  • Ask the consultant if there are any foreseeable problems in meeting your time schedule.
  • Find out how the consultant charges — is it per hour, per day, or per project, and ask if a deposit is required.

In any communications thereafter, provide a written answer to additional information requests by the consultant — clear communication is important, and it ensures that you get the results you want.

Review the Proposals

Review the proposals received from each consultant and compare them to your established selection criteria to determine whether:

  • The consultant responded to the principle needs based on the RFP’s outlined objectives.
  • The services set out are specific to your RFP and are clearly defined.
  • The timetable covers both the consultant’s time and your staff’s time and that it is reasonable.
  • All fees and costs are clearly defined, the billing procedures are specific, and the consultant’s fees seem reasonable.
  • The consultant has clearly defined the division of responsibility between your staff and the consultant’s staff.
  • The consultant sets forth the consulting personnel assigned to the project, including r sum s, experience, and billing rates.


The Complete E-Commerce Book. Design, Build & Maintain a Successful Web-based Business
The Complete E-Commerce Book, Second Edition: Design, Build & Maintain a Successful Web-based Business
ISBN: B001KVZJWC
EAN: N/A
Year: 2004
Pages: 159

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