This is especially important for e-commerce sites that will be selling products. You do not want to make potential customers wait for your pages to load or force them to get a plugin to purchase something from your site. If your site is of the Entertainment or Artistic genre, and you want a site that will stand out from the rest of the crowd, then you may want to use the cutting edge Flash Techology and some unique, eye-catching designs. Determine the purpose of your web site, and then start your search for a web design company that can best meet your needs. Make sure that you ask each potential web design company about their pricing structure so that you will know how much to expect.
Some companies charge by the hour, and some charge by the job.
It all depends on where you go. Most companies will give you an estimate of how much the development of your web site may be based on the information that you provide to them via an online form or email. It is very important that you take these steps. You do not want to get stuck halfway through the development of your site and then have to stop because you went over your budget. Chances are, if you like the sites in their portfolio, then you will probably be happy with the work they perform on your site.