Decide what needs to be local
For a Chelmsford business, decide whether a local discovery meeting is important or whether remote delivery offers a wider choice. Website builds, SEO reviews and campaign management can often be delivered remotely; workshops, photography or detailed knowledge of a service area may benefit from local collaboration.
If your team wants regular workshops, include meeting frequency in the brief. If the project is mainly design and development, compare the proposed review process from both nearby and remote teams.
Describe where your own customers are, whether meetings are needed and who will provide the local business details. A provider should use real service-area information rather than creating pages for places you do not serve.
Three ways to compare a shortlist
- Ask for experience with your service or industry, including the work the provider personally completed.
- Compare the process for discovery, review, reporting and handover; agree how you will communicate.
- Confirm ownership of your domain, website, advertising accounts and business profiles.
Choose a service before requesting prices
A short description of the location alone is not enough for a useful quote. Add your goals, current website, desired services, budget range and timing to a brief.
Prepare your brief ↗