How To Choose a Web Design Company
Are you trying to figure out how to go about choosing the right local web design company to work on your project?
Frankly, just getting started can be overwhelming. You want to choose a reputable company that does great work, treats you like a human, and charges fair prices. But how do you go about finding the right agency for your project?
In this guide, you’ll learn how to find and select the right web design firm that can build a quality website for your business objectives.
Factors To Consider
Working with professional web designers is the best way to create a quality site that turns heads for all the right reasons. However, choosing the right web design firm isn’t always simple, especially if this is your first time hiring an agency.
Consider these factors, so you can find out how to choose a website design agency that can help you achieve your goals.
Start by Making a Requirements List
You want to pick an agency who can deliver on your digital web strategy and marketing goals, but you won’t what your expectations are if you don’t know your goals first.
It will help you correctly evaluate agencies.
What’s important to you?
Make a simple list of the key factors you want from your website.
That might include:
- The specific services and/or products you want to offer.
- Any special functions or features you’d like.
- Do you want it to show up on search engines to attract new prospects?
- Do you need a writer, photographer, or videographer to create the content?
It’s also important to decide what next steps you want people to take when they visit your site. This is called a call-to-action (CTA).
While a call-to-action can be whatever you want, these are the most common:
- Call now
- Buy online
- Complete a contact form
- Make a reservation
- Schedule a meeting
- Join an email list or newsletter
By understanding your requirements and deciding on a CTA first, you’ll be able to find a web design company or agency that can actually deliver what you need.
Pick a Local Web Design Firm
This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but generally, the further away a web design and development company is from your business, the higher the chance you’ll experience poor service. That’s probably true in most industries.
In our industry, it’s not uncommon to see design agencies that appear to be local, but are really based out of another city, state, or even country.
While working with an out-of-town company can yield great results, it’s harder to maintain accountability when there’s zero chance of a face-to-face interaction, so the risk to your company increases.
Instead, before choosing, start by looking for locally owned and operated web design companies by using search engines and asking fellow business owners or family for recommendations.
Find the Right Web Design Agency with a Stable History
Once you have a list of a few local website design companies, check out their websites and do a little research.
- Find out who owns the design company.
- Are they local?
- How long have they been in business?
- Have they collected a healthy amount of reviews and a portfolio of past client work?
Even if everything seems fine, be on the lookout for red flags like:
- No clear understanding of ownership.
- No local address.
- No local phone number.
Check Websites, Portfolios, Case Studies and Reviews of the Agencies
If the designing companies look legitimate, the next step is to look for proof of their work through case studies.
This is the best way to know if a web design agency is experienced enough to meet your business goals.
Review Design Portfolios
Look at their portfolios of past work. Any reputable agency will have several projects available for you to review.
Ask yourself:
- Are the designs modern and professional?
- Is the content convincing and persuasive?
- Does the portfolio reflect the general approach and you’re looking for?
Can’t find their portfolio? That’s a major red flag.
Read Their Case Studies
Case studies are a powerful way to dig into a web design company’s web development processes and technical expertise to see how they go about serving their clients and getting them measurable results.
Some case studies may be an overview, while others might get more into the details.
Generally, the more detailed a case study, the more you can see how the agency thinks and conducts business.
Read Past Client Reviews
It’s hard to overstate the importance of client reviews. Businesses can say all they want on their website, but honest, unfiltered customer reviews are the best way to see if a web design company does quality work.
Don’t just trust the reviews or testimonials on the agency’s website. Look for reviews in multiple places, including:
- Social media
- Review sites like Yelp and Trust Pilot
- The Better Business Bureau (BBB)
The more specific a review, the better.
You also have to be on the lookout for reviews that look suspiciously positive. Reviews that say things like “You can’t wrong with…” or “Give them a call” are probably from friends and moms.
When in doubt, look for three- and four-star reviews. These tend to provide a more accurate picture.
Choosing a Web Design Company That’s Professional
As a local business owner, you’re an expert in your specific field, but you might not know much about your website or digital marketing.
Partnering with a website design agency that specializes in design, marketing, and development will help you realize your vision for your website. They should act as an advisor guiding you on best practices not just for your website, but for growing your business. A quality website design agency wants your website to get a lot of traffic—after all, it means their website works!
Consider these factors to find the most experienced website design agency for your project.
Do They Have a Refined Design Process?
Like any other industry, the best design companies have clear processes that they have refined over time. They’re the website professionals, so they should be able to share the exact steps they’ll take to complete your project, from start to finish.
If their website doesn’t spell out their process, then look at what their business is focused on. Is their core business aligned with the kind of work your company needs?
For example, if you want your website to show up for search engine rankings, then they should offer local SEO as one of their core services. Or if their core service is running pay-per-click (PPC) ads, then building websites may not be their strong suit.
Look back to the requirements list you made at the beginning of this process. Does it match the web designer’s specialty and workflow? If not, move on to the next company on your list.
They Should Include Responsive Web Design and Web Development
This is a bit of a no-brainer, but you’ll want your web design agency to use the most up-to-date best practices for website design.
If you visit their agency website and it has outdated design or clunky navigation elements, take your business elsewhere.
What’s the difference between website design and development?
Keep in mind that website design and development aren’t quite the same. The company you choose depends on what you need to accomplish.
Website design handles the layout of the website pages, color schemes, graphics and general flow of the website. In other words, it includes all the visual elements and user experience.
Web dev covers the build and optimization of the website. This includes things like:
- Mobile responsive, so it works on every device.
- Fast load times, so visitors don’t leave.
- Search engine optimization, so it shows up on local search engines.
If you need both design and development, work with an agency who also offers development services—or who can at least bring a developer to the project for you.
Pick a Collaborative Web Design & Marketing Advisor
Even though their core strength should be in launching websites, your web design agency should have a good understanding of all digital and traditional marketing channels for local businesses.
You’ll want your website to be positioned, designed, and built to work with all marketing channels, at a minimum. The agency should be able to come to the table with suggestions for increasing traffic to your site or boost your brand’s visibility.
Call Them on the Phone
Don’t underestimate the value of chatting with a website designer one-on-one. Pick up the phone and give them a call. Striking up a conversation is the easiest way to see if they are experienced, have valuable insight to provide, and are easy to work with.
Your designer should be knowledgeable, personable, friendly, and easy to get along with. If anything feels off, or if they seem evasive and inexperienced then consider selecting other web design companies.
Get the Right Ongoing Website Support
Your website is going to need support and updates down the line, so see if your agency offers ongoing support plans. Ask questions like:
- Are you getting locked into any monthly or long-term contracts?
- Are you required to work with the company after your website launches?
- Will you have full ownership over your website files and website hosting?
Even if you plan to self-manage your website, it’s good to know you can call on the web design agency that built it if you ever have a problem.
Compare Your Website Budget and Project Requirements with their Prices
Oddly, most web design companies don’t post their prices publicly. This makes it hard to get an idea of prices and whether you’re choosing a web design company will fit with your budget.
If you want an idea of pricing, the best way to get this information is to email them asking for a quote, or to fill out the quote form on their website. They might want to schedule a short call to get a better idea of your needs. This might seem like an extra step, but this is the best way to get the most accurate quote possible.
Prices for websites vary depending on a lot of factors, so it’s hard to say whether a certain price is fair or not.
The best way to figure that out is to calculate your current return on investment and set a new ROI after you launch your website.
Investing in a high-performing website isn’t cheap, but using an inexperienced web designer based purely on price will cost you more in the long run. On the other hand, nobody wants to get overcharged.
Website pricing is complex, so check out this deep dive to understand how much a website costs.
If you’re on a bare bones budget, you may have no choice but to use someone who’s new to designing websites, just so you can get your website online. And that’s okay.
If and when you do have the budget, you’ll have more options to choose from, so you can get the right fit and better long-term results for your business when selecting from web design companies.
Fit Matters: How to Choose The Right Agency For You
Business websites are no small investment, so take time to find the best web design agencies for your project requirements. At the end of this process, you should have two or three web design agencies within your budget.
If you’re trying to pick between a few different agencies, go with the one that’s easiest to work with. They should understand your vision for your business and be willing to do what they can to help you succeed.
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