HOW TO CHOOSE
Your website is the consumer’s window into your business and how you present your brand to the outside world, so it makes sense that you would want to ensure that you choose the right website design agency to create a website that meets your standards. There are many graphic design agencies and full-service marketing agencies that offer professional website design, leaving you with a variety of options to choose from.
Have a plan
Before even beginning the search for a company to build your website, you should consider the goals of what you want your website to achieve. The great thing about web design companies is that you don’t have to limit yourself to local businesses; you can consider any digital agency that aligns with your vision to get the job done.
What you need to know
Factors to consider when choosing a web design agency include personal information such as your budget, timeline, and features you would like to have on your site. You should also consider information about each agency, such as their experience, portfolio of past work, whether they handle other aspects besides web design (such as writing your website content and marketing your business), and whether the team seems like a good fit to work with.
Coming up with a budget shouldn’t mean setting a hard limit of one number, rather, you should come up with a range of what you expect to pay for the services provided. This means that before you plan your budget, you should decide what features are necessary on the website, as this will affect the cost of website design. This range will help you find an agency that works within your budget and can create the website your brand needs.
Some Practical Tips
Your timeline is also an important factor because if your website needs to go live within two weeks, you have to pick an agency that has an opening, not one that can fit you in after the deadline has already passed. You should also ask each agency about their average turnaround time so you know what to expect, and whether you will have time to make any edits.
When looking at portfolios of an agency’s past work, it’s important to note more than just if the website designs are pretty to look at – they should also be easy to navigate, as the consumer experience is a crucial aspect of a good website. Things to consider while checking portfolios include whether the websites a company has developed are optimized for mobile use, are up-to-date on web design trends, and if they have created websites for businesses in your industry before.
If you need a website built from scratch, it’s even more important to choose the right web design company. Certain agencies offer extra services such as SEO content writing for your website pages, maintenance services to keep your website running smoothly and make edits easy, and general website upkeep including payment for your custom domain and SSL certificate