Hiring a Vertical Web Design Company

First off, a definition: a vertical Web design company works exclusively in one industry, be it travel, hospitals, or cookie cutting. A horizontal Web design company works with a wide range of companies in different industries or sectors.

Recently, a few prospects had been weighing our services against the services of a vertical vendor and asked me to explain why they shouldn't go with a Web design and Internet marketing company that focuses specifically--in these cases--plastic surgeons or law firms.

It's a great question. I think there are times when it makes sense to go with a vendor who specializes in your industry. An accountant whose clients are all service providers, or a business coach who works exclusively with small business owner would be the type of vertical vendors who I'd be interested in doing business with.

Similarly, if you're an innkeeper, you might want to work with a laundry service that has a lot of inns as customers, and if you're a restaurant owner, you might want to choose a vendor with