Shopping for a website can be a difficult experience.  With everyone in the world claiming to be a web designer these days it can be tough for a small business on a budget.

You can break all the web designers into 3 distinct groups.

1. Independent, inexperienced web designer. The high school student. Someday they will be a great web designer.  But right now, they are young and inexperienced.  You can grab a website for cheap, if you’re willing to sacrifice quality.
2. Resellers. The absentee. Certain large companies offer the ability to resell their services.  These individuals will simply sign up with some large company and sell the service as if it were their own.  These services can be relatively cheap and produce a decent “cookie cutter” website.  This means that a you have no control over the design you choose being sold to 5, 10, or 100 people.
3. Professionals. The company. A business that is devoted to creating websites.   The web design process is well defined and you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.  Typically, most companies will be able to deliver a quality website.  But as with everything–shop around.  Not all web designers are created equal.

The world of web design usually sticks to the old adage, “You get what you pay for.”  So what should you look for when shopping for a website?

» Read more: Choosing a web designer that works for you