We get you. Choosing a web design agency for your site redesign is a crucial decision. It is a decision that needs proper consideration. A website redesign is a highly relevant initiative that requires a significant investment of your company’s money, resources, and time.
If you look at it from another perspective, a site’s development is a unique marketing initiative that is spread across numerous functions. Some of the functions include strategy, design, planning, content, SEO, programming, and many others.
In other words, a website is more than just code and design: Its whole purpose is to be a tool for your company’s marketing and business development. And that is why you need the right kind of web design agency. But most importantly, what you should look out for when hiring an agency.
Consider the following things when choosing a web design agency.
5 Tips for Hiring a Web Design Agency for Your Business
1. Make a Distinction between What You Want and Do Not Want
Before you start searching for a company to design your website, you need to make a list of sites you admire and prefer. You also need to state why you like them.
For instance, you can select some websites for their aesthetics, others for their function, and maybe more for their workflow. That will help the agency to get more in-depth details of your intentions, objectives, and tastes.
Also, you need to ask yourself the following questions, as it helps to narrow down what you want:
- Do I want a highly modern, visual, trendy website?
- Should I opt for a more traditional, conventional website?
- Will the website be updated every year by the developer?
- Will I make regular changes or edits to the content regularly?
At this point, you get what we mean. It is good to know what you want to develop and how you plan to maintain your website. And that is because you can use those criteria to screen your web design candidates like Webzool based on the project’s long-term vision or scope.
2. Examine the Agency’s Portfolio
The fastest way to know if a web design agency fits what you expect is to review their portfolios. But also do not forget to check the current project they embarked on. Do you like what you see? Is their design appealing and matches the points outlined in the previous point?
Even though a good agency is constantly evolving and improving its work, past websites indicate future sites.
3. Ask for References and Check It Out
Getting referrals from businesses whose sites you admire is your best source. So when you plan on hiring an agency, ask for references from previous and current customers, including the websites they have designed.
Ask for recommendations from people you know. If possible, ask if they would like to refer to a web designer they have worked with in the past. Ask if they communicated well enough throughout the project. Was the agency able to meet its deadlines?
These questions can help you make the right decisions.
4. Talk About Where the Project Will Be Done
You need to ask where the project will be carried out (whether locally or outsourced) and who will be doing it. You have to know who is coding and developing the website and if the agency is local or outsourced.
It can be frustrating to know that the web design agency is in the U.S., but the actual coding is carried out in India. When something goes wrong, you may have to wait several hours due to the considerable time difference. That can delay the business’s progress in the long run.
5. Determine Whether the Designer Can Meet Your Deadline
Before you even begin the project, you need to ascertain whether the designer or agency can pull it off before the deadline. When discussing the project with a web design agency, make sure that they clearly understand the scope of what they are supposed to deliver.
That can include the number of changes you can request, what the agency needs from you, and the work timeline.
Conclusion Choosing the right web design agency is a big decision that you should take your time to make. It should not be taken lightly and without practical evaluation. Even though there are several other factors, these five tips will give you a good head start.