Once you have found out about a web design company from the net, the best way to find their credibility is to ask for information on the same from people in the Internet itself. Leave queries on the website at different forums and discussion boards. If you get an affirmative response, understand that they are a genuine company, or else just forget about it.
While you are looking at the website of a web design company, look for information about the company in their about us section, or about the company column. If these information are not satisfactorily provided, understand that they are not trustworthy and move on to another website.
Web design companies usually maintain a good list of the most popular websites that they have designed. Companies who are hesitant to present this list to you, either do not have any influential works or have no work at all. Such companies will be extremely incompetent and will not be able to satisfy your work requirement too. It is better to stay away from such firms.
Designing company websites, that do not provide an evident contact address or phone number are also pulled under the grilling machine. Such web design companies too are considered to be trying to hide their identity and might be fake. Beware of such organizations too.
Web design companies that seem to be in a hurry to grab the project and do not pay attention to the client requirements or suggestions too are doubtful in nature. They seem to be in a hurry to have some money in hand. There are strong chances that these companies too might not be able to deliver your project as per your requirement.
A professional web design company usually promises future services too, to the websites that they have created. If the website you have approached does not assure of such services, then it is clear that they are actually not confident about their own projects itself.
These were some very basic ways to help you stay away from the fraud web design companies.
