How to develop your Internet idea
The challenge for a web entrepreneur is essentially to do with scope and refinement. It is extremely attractive to leap into web development when you are excited about the potential of an idea. Usually I would say take that rare energy and excitement and full steam ahead, but in this case it is important to stop and make a few decisions before progressing any type of idea into development work. If you are thinking of spending under one thousand dollars on web design then you may be able to get away with having a rough plan as long as you can communicate to your designer a clear brief.
Any budget over this and I would strongly recommend drafting a more comprehensive design plan that will enable you to identify essential functionality and applications before work is started. This stops you from the project cost spiraling out of control as new ideas come to hand. In other words don't let the development drive your idea as you progress, this is the most expensive way to do it, but probably the most common. Refine your idea and all its potential, set your budget and then go for it.
Choosing a development firm can be tricky. Have a good look around and talk to lots of people. You pretty much get what you pay for in the Internet industry, so don't be fooled by offers that seem too good to be true. Don't sell your organization short to save a couple of bucks in the short term. Have a look at a developer's previous work; ask about development cost, and ongoing costs. Usually designers have a certain kind of look to their sites, so find someone else's site that you like and then get that designer to do yours. Get advice on running an online business, there is a lot to it believe it or not. Choose a web developer that talks common sense, in a language that you can understand.
Your website ideas or things that it will do for visitors will need to be realized in the form of web applications and then engineered. A developer will either create these web applications from scratch or use already existing applications to build the functionality of your website. This is where some of your quotes may vary considerably in price. It doesn't hurt to reuse the wheel so to speak but there may be some compromises to be made in terms of design and getting the exact functionality that you require.
That foundation is then given a facelift and graphic appeal so that visitors aren't disgusted by the look of your site. Remember that you will be building something that is going to be around for a while and will probably require updates and modifications. So ensure that you choose a provider that can deliver the kind and level of access that you require. Be realistic, there is no use purchasing a content management website that you update yourself if you are not the kind of person who likes or has the time to update. If you get your web developer to do the updates then enquire about update costs and how quickly they can be done.
Hope that helps you to get your idea off the ground, remember "if you build it, they will come".