10 Tips For Finding The Perfect Web Design Company

Well, that might depend on what you're looking for and what you need.

Hiring a web design company is an effective way to give your business a professional and modern look. However, it can be difficult to know where to start your search for the perfect team that you know has the skills and capabilities you need. Below you will find our top 10 tips to help you find the best web design company for you.

Before you engage a web design company, make sure you do your due diligence and research.

Have you looked at your competition to see what they are doing well or not so well? How can you make sure your website is even better?

Take note of the websites you like the look of, in your industry or not. You might like the whole website, or specific parts such as how the homepage works or how the products are displayed.

Also consider if you want to work with someone locally, or if you're happy to expand your search beyond your local area.

Most importantly, talk to your customers! Ask them what they would like your website to offer and what expectations they have for it. They're the ones who will be using it, and they're sure to have some great ideas.

Know What You Need the Website For

It’s important to have a clear understanding of why you are creating your website.

• Is it to promote a business or product?

• Is it to promote the different services you offer?

• Are you selling something online?

• Will customers be making transactions via the site?

• Is it just to have an online presence?

• Is it confirmation of who you are and what you do?

• Do you want to automate internal business processes and integrate with:

  • Your CRM?

  • Inventory software?

  • Accounting package?

Having a clear understanding of your goals and expectations will help your web designer understand the type of website experience and expectations you are looking for. Knowing what needs the website must fulfil will help ensure that your designer builds a site to your specifications.

Once you have answered the above, it is time to start looking at different web companies to get a good sense of their company - take a look at past projects, portfolio, and customer reviews. Make sure you read the online reviews from other businesses to make sure customers were happy with the result, as this will give you an idea of what kind of services they provide, how affordable they are, and how reliable they are in producing top-notch quality work.

1 - Look at the websites they have built

Take a look at their website portfolio and whether they have dealt with similar jobs to yours. This doesn't necessarily mean the same industry, but the kind of website. See if there is a range of different sites, i.e. brochure style, eCommerce, of similar size or integrations with 3rd party software like ERP's, Xero, CRM's, social media etc.

2 - Check out what their customers are saying

Take a look at the reviews they're receiving and are they from an independent resource i.e. Google Reviews. Do you know any of the companies or can you chat with any of them to get a response from the horse's mouth?

3 - Is the work done in-house or outsourced?

Ask whether they outsource or if everything is done in-house. Our advice would be lean toward everything being done in-house, as this generally means the communication will be better and they're website designers and developers.

4 - Who will you be dealing with?

Find out who are you going to be dealing with (such as a sales person or a web designer) and consider whether you feel comfortable with the communication so far.

5 - Consider their SEO know-how

What is their understanding of search engine optimisation? Is it included in the project and do they have the skill set to help in this area? A good way to look into this is to check their portfolio to see how they rank on Google.

6 - How tech-savvy are they (are they designers/ developers or both?)

How tech-savvy are they? Can they do everything or are certain parts outsourced? The are many components to building a website, including design, CSS styling, coding and development depending on your requirements. Make sure you find a team that knows how to handle this.

7 - Can they deliver in the timeframe required?

Can they deliver the project on time and on budget? This could depend on how busy they are and you may want to clarify this. In our experience, we have found more often than not we are waiting for clients to deliver information and make decisions rather than our clients waiting for us.

8 - Know your budget & compare prices

Have an approximate budget in mind and make sure to get at least 3 quotes so you can get a reasonable understanding of the actual fair cost and whether your budget needs adjusting. Just make sure you're comparing apples with apples.

9 - What support do they offer?

The support offered after the website build is completed is one of the most crucial components to look at. This is because the website build takes a short time compared to your website's lifespan and its continuing success.

10 - Do they offer a Content Management System (CMS)?

A Content Management System allows you to self-manage your website internally - its a good idea to see if they offer a demo on how it works to give you a better understanding of whether you feel comfortable with it. Not all CMS are easy as others.

It is important to understand whether the design and development is done in-house or whether the job is outsourced, and it is best to know this before the project is started.

Here are some important skills for web-designers to have:

• Creativity

• Technical Skills

• Communication Skills

• Design Experience

• Development Experience

• Sense of trust

In conclusion, partnering with the perfect web design company is an essential decision when it comes to creating a website that meets both your needs and your customers’ expectations. Be sure to use our tips for finding the right company including checking references, assessing technology know-how and understanding the design process.

Taking time to do this research upfront is well worth it in order to get the site of your dreams. With proper planning, you can create a unique website that is perfectly tailored for your specific business needs.

Finally, if you would like to talk with us about your next web project please don't hesitate to Get in Touch.