The Smoke and Mirrors of Internet Businesses

With brick and mortar locations, it is easy to understand the potential of companies. You simply walk in, observe the décor, interact with employees and browse the menu. Well outside of browsing the menu (and sometimes that is hard), understanding the potential or validity of an internet business is becoming increasingly hard.

Do they have 5 employees or 500? Do they work in an artsy, two story loft or rent out their mother's basement?

The power of the web has not only let everyone "establish" a voice in the industry but it has also created a grey area of who is reputable and who is deceiving. This leads us to identifying and debunking the abilities of an internet business.

1) Contact the company and/or fill out a sales request

See who contacts you and how long it takes for someone to respond. The role of the sales person and the turnaround time should be a good indication of how well the company can handle your project. If you speak with someone over the phone, ask them their specific role within the company and if they handle any other duties within the company

2) If local, visit the company's location

Recently, a prospective client I was speaking with had proposals from several firms and was making a decision. Instead of setting up meetings, the client called every company in one day and made "˜surprise' visits to get a better sense of the company's size, style and organization. I'm not necessarily recommending surprise visits, but visiting the company will help define the company's ability.

3) View the portfolio and contact references

Viewing the portfolio is becoming second nature but following up with those portfolio pieces as reference points will help you make decisions. Contacting references will also help clarify any issues you may have with a potential firm or agency. Ask questions specific to your project; were they happy with the work done? Are they still using them for future projects? Was the project completed on time and within budget?

4) Project Management, Contracts, Future Partnership

Ask the company how they manage their projects, handle their contracts and supply hosting and/or services in the future. You can tell a lot about a company about their procedures they have in place and the typical start to finish process they lead a client through .
While I believe the internet has allowed smaller businesses to grow over time, the internet is still the "˜information superhighway.' Ask questions, do your homework and contact references.

It beats the alternative; pick the wrong firm, go through a frustrated process and end up with a less than desired solution.