Research has shown that website design contributes to 94% of first impressions. Furthermore, beautiful and well-designed websites are preferred over basic ones by 59% of web users.
Choosing the right web design company is essential to your business’s continued success. However, you may need to learn how to decide which web design service to use with so many available. Several factors go into this decision-making process, and it’s vital to review each when creating a new website.
Keep reading if you’re researching web design companies to create a great website for your company. Here are the top ten things to look at to help you decide who to hire.
1. Web Design Scope Requirements
First, you need to consider why you need a web designer. Perhaps you’ve started a company and need an online presence to help your business. In this case, you need to review everything you’re looking for in your website before approaching any web design companies.
Once you have your project outline, you can liaise with the designers to distinguish what conditions you have and which services you need. For example, if you need e-commerce facilities included in your web design project. Larger projects will also require more designers who can drive up the overall costs, so keep track of these charges.
Finally, by working through your outline and expectations, you will be able to determine if the designers have the necessary skills for your project needs.
2. Costs and Budget
Another element you need to consider before proceeding further is your budget. Knowing what you can afford ahead of time allows you to bypass web designers who are out of your budget. Understanding your finances means sticking within your price range and not overspending.
The cost of web design services can differ from one company to the next. This cost fluctuation depends on the project’s scope and the designer’s skills. More experienced designers who can create complex websites will cost more than someone with less know-how.
3. Location, Location, Location
While it is possible to hire a web designer in another city, state, or even country, it’s not recommended. Communication is a significant part of the design process, so using a local company is preferable. By using a local company, you are afforded the ability to schedule a face-to-face meeting.
When you can only communicate through emails and video calls, you open yourself up to delays due to technical difficulties, such as a bad internet connection. As such, the more your project is delayed, the higher the costs could get.
4. Services Offered and Included
When comparing one web design service with another, aligning your requirements with the right company is necessary. Suppose you need a complex e-commerce website built for your company. In this case, you would require the services of a web designer with specific coding knowledge and would have to bypass the companies without that skillset.
Also, enquire about any extra services they may offer. These services can include Search Engine Optimization (SEO), content planning, design, and marketing services.
Hiring a company that provides multiple services can save you money and ensure your website has a good return on investment. You can see some examples of services here at Weber & Co.
5. Their Design Process
There are several ways to build a website, so knowing how your chosen web design company works is helpful. By understanding their design process, you can eliminate missed deadlines and have a better insight into the design timeline. Knowing this will help you work closely with the designer to achieve a better website.
Understanding their design process can help you manage your expectations, and you can address delays in the timeline as they arise. Your web design company can discuss what website material needs to be provided by you and what is the designers’ responsibility. Knowing this ahead of time can help eliminate delays due to miscommunication.
If they source the images for your website themselves, you want to enquire about the usage licensing. A decent web design company will typically have access to paid-for stock images they can use on your site. This way, you don’t have to pay royalties or fines.
6. Their Design Experience
Every web designer will come with different experience levels. Who you hire depends on the complexity of your website. If you’re building an e-commerce website, you’ll need someone with the appropriate knowledge and skillset to construct it.
Additionally, you want to consider how familiar they are with your occupation field. Someone who understands your industry will be able to meet better your specific requirements than someone who has only designed websites for one sector.
While discussing their design experience, you can also use this time to determine if they will be designing logos or creating content for your site as added services.
7. Review Their Portfolio
Along with reviewing their design experience, you also want to view their portfolio. An accessible portfolio is crucial to know whether the web designer’s vision matches yours. You need access to a portfolio to get an idea of their website-building abilities.
In this case, it would be wise to hire a web design services company with previous work. It would be too easy for the designer to oversell their abilities only for you to find out after you’ve laid down the deposit. Any quality design company will have a portfolio of previous work they’ve completed, which you can look through to ascertain their style.
8. Request References
This next point goes hand in hand with points six and seven. A good company offering a reputable web design service will have contactable references that you can approach. If they’re happy to provide you with testimonials, you know they are proud of their work and that their customers were likely satisfied.
Customer references can be by way of a written testimonial, or you may be able to contact them directly. It is an excellent way to consult with their previous clients and enquire about the working relationship they experienced. You want to use their references to ascertain the following:
- How easy communication was
- If there were any significant delays in their project
- Whether they remained on budget
- How they felt the web design company met their expectations
Clients who did not receive good service generally will be quick to tell you. If this happens, find out more information if you can. This extra information will help you decide.
9. After-Sale Services and Warranties
Once the web design project is complete, you want to know how the after-sale assistance will be. For example, does the company you’re choosing offer any support should you encounter any issues with your website, or will they charge you a fee to fix any errors that arise?
You want to know that your website will function as intended and expressed in the original brief. Be aware that the company doesn’t offer a guarantee, as the costs of fixing errors can quickly increase. Furthermore, there is no sure way of knowing how many errors you may be paying to have fixed.
10. Verify Availability
By now, you might already know which companies you are considering hiring. In that case, you want to check with your prospective short-list whether or not they’re available to begin work on your project immediately.
If they cannot, it is entirely your decision whether you want to delay your project. If you decide not to wait, you can eliminate that company from your list and move on to the next.
Furthermore, knowing their availability will also give you peace of mind knowing they don’t have an overload of projects. It means a higher likelihood of building your website within the agreed-upon timeline.
Questions to Ask The Web Design Company You Use
If you need clarification, figuring out which web design service to use can be overwhelming. To help, here are some questions that are worthwhile asking before you hire someone:
- How many pages will the entire website have?
- Do you offer content planning or creating services?
- Will my website be compatible with different devices?
- Do you handle SEO and marketing?
- How will you assist in generating leads?
- How will you drive traffic to my website?
- Will you be analyzing my website’s performance?
- Are you familiar with my industry?
- How will updates to the site be handled?
- Who owns the copyright to the completed website?
Choose the Best Web Design Service for Your Needs
Your website is a significant factor in business in today’s consumer climate. If your website needs to be well-designed and user-friendly, you avoid losing customers rather than gaining new ones. A website that does not perform optimally will frustrate your viewers, and they will quickly move off to one of your competitors.
Take the time to vet the web design service company you settle on properly, so there are no surprises later down the line. Make sure you review the contract thoroughly and ask any questions before signing on the dotted line.
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