How Do I Choose The Right Web Design Agency For My Business?

If you’ve decided to get a website built, it’s important you choose an agency who will listen to your needs, involve you in the planning stages and then produce a website which exceeds your expectations and attracts new customers. You’ll be entrusting them with your brand, so it’s essential that you choose a professional and well-established team.

It can be quite overwhelming selecting which agency to use, as there are so many to choose from, however we’ve put together 6 key questions which will help you with your decision-making process:

1.   How much will it cost to design and build my website?

A well-organised team will discuss your exact requirements with you before sending you a written proposal with a quote for the work and an outline of what’s included. Ideally the proposal will be sent together with relevant terms and conditions.

It‘s essential that you fully understand what is (and what isn’t) included before you make any payments or agreements. We would advise you to check the following:

• Which platform will the web agency use? Or will it be a bespoke design?
• How many pages will your website have?
• Will the site be mobile responsive?
• Does the quote include all the functions that you specifically require?
• Will the agency provide content management system (CMS) training to ensure that you can access the backend of your site and manage your website yourself after the launch? What are their costs for additional training? What are their costs for ongoing web maintenance or support?
• What is the process if you want to make any changes to the brief before your site is launched? What are the charges if you want to make any changes after the launch?
• Will they ensure that your site is fully search engine optimised?
• Does the proposal include the registration of a domain name and web hosting? If not, what are the additional fees for this?

2.   What about the content and images for my website?

It’s likely that you’ll be required to supply all content and images for your site, however a professional agency will be able to assist with content writing or purchasing stock images if required. You should talk to them about this during the initial discussions to ensure that they include it in your proposal.

3.   Have you got a portfolio?

A well-established company should have an impressive website which includes a portfolio of their projects. We recommend that you check out other websites that they’ve designed and built to get an idea about the quality of their work, design layouts etc.

4.   Do you have testimonials?

Most creative agencies will have testimonials on their website and they may even feature on review sites. We recommend that you read these, and you could even ask if it’s possible to speak to a previous client to ask them about their experiences.

5.   How long will it take to create my new website?

It’s important that you ask how long it will take for the design and build process, as you need to ensure that this works for your business. Any time frames given will depend largely on the client’s co-operation with regards to discussing the design and functionality requirements, and also for supplying photos and content. The web designer may need to contact you for comments during the development stage so it’s essential that you provide feedback promptly to avoid delays with the progress and launch.

6.   What are my first impressions?

It’s crucial to trust your instincts and think about your first impressions of the agency. Bear in mind that you may be working with them for anywhere between 3 days or 6 months during the website design and build process, and possibly for several years to come if they assist you with on-going web maintenance and development. So you’ll need to have a good working relationship with them. Here are some questions that you should ask yourself:

• What do you think about their website? Does it communicate the right message?
• Did they respond professionally and promptly to your initial enquiry?
• What were your first impressions when you spoke to them?
• Have they listened to your requirements? Do you feel that they understand what you want?
• Have you established a good rapport with them?
• Will you be able to work with them over a period of time?

If you’re looking for an experienced and friendly team to create a high impact, search engine friendly website for your business we would be happy to work with you. Please contact us and we’ll get in touch to discuss your requirements.

You may also find our ‘6 Reasons Not To Skimp On Your Website’ article interesting.