There are a lot of web designers out there. In fact, CF Webtools does a fair amount of business picking up after independent contractors, ad companies and design focused shops who still think the Internet is just a good place to "hang out a shingle". Sure, a presence on the web is important. You need a web site, and it should reflect your image. But the web is no longer just a phone book. Your site must be much more than simply another sales channel. In fact, if that's all it is you are already in trouble.

Consider the fact that people now see the web as a primary source of information. They will first check the web before they try other avenues to find out what they need to know. For example, let's say you are a manufacturer selling widgets and a customer needs to know something about the widget he just bought he or she is going to check the web first before he calls or goes digging around for documentation.

Here's an example regarding CF Webtools. We use "blogging" to disseminate what we learn as we develop for our customers. Since our sales pitch is about how much we know, people stumble onto our blogs when they are in desparate need of us. Fully 80% of our customers come to us by discovering an answer to a question in one of our blogs.

Can we design your site? You bet! We can make it look stunning. But we will also recommend tools and applications that will make a part of your communication strategy - not just a brochure. That's the difference between a "web design" company and a "web development" company.

Customers in need of design fill out a "creative brief". This is a two page form designed to help us understand how you perceive your company and what you might appreciate as a "good design". With the creative brief in hand we turn to 2 or 3 designers. Typically, we use one in-house designer and one or more external contractors. These creative folks are tasked with coming up with "mockups" of a design idea. They provide these mockups to us and we work to refine them till they are presentable.

Once we feel they are ready we present them to you and ask you to pick one that best represents your company. We make further revisions to the chosen design and that becomes the basis for your new site or product's "look and feel".

The process is designed to be transparent and it is aimed at effectively capturing your vision for your site.