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It was functional and eye-catching, but I wanted more.

Enter Orman Feres, of Visual Impressions Web and Graphic Solutions. Feres was recommended to me by my old friend and marketing director Gail, of GCD Writing and Marketing Solutions. Referral or not, I was determined, this time, that this experience would be better.

The first order of business was a conversation. I explained quite explicitly what I wanted and stressed that I had to have the ability to easily update my own site. That was not negotiable. I insisted on a contract with target dates and benchmarks. Feres was a great listener and said quickly said none of my requests were unreasonable.

And, so far, it’s been a totally different experience. The site so far is on track to being what I want for my clients -- a user friendly online Bay experience, and what I want for me, easily updatable. I can’t wait to unveil it later this month.

So the lessons learned? Here they are:

1.) Get a referral for Web developer who had done the type of work you need done.

2.) Make a list of the specific requirements for your site. Draw a sketch of each page, if you have to. Determine what items are negotiable and what are not.

3.) Have a conversation with the developer about each item on the list and listen to what they can reasonably do, and not do. Get cost estimates and decide where you want the money to go -- a great-looking store front, for example, or a larger database.

4.) Ask for target dates and bench marks for each phase of the project. Make sure they are specific and written into the contract.

5.) And ask to see the work as it progresses so that you can re-direct a vision gone astray, or scale back a project that may be overly ambitious.