Your site’s design accounts for 75% of your credibility among new visitors. Get it wrong, and you’ll not only pass up a sale but potentially encourage a lead never to return. Aesthetics matter, but with thousands of agencies and freelancers out there, how do you choose one that gets it right?
This article will discuss how to choose a web design company in general terms and a few specifics based on your industry and goals. Here are our top tips to make the right choice every time!
They Take Pride in Their Own Website
Would you trust a mechanic that can’t drive? Web design 101 dictates that you better have the skills to back it up if you’re selling digital services!
A web design company’s site is their portal to the world and their best sales tool. It fulfills the same purpose you want your site to.
Don’t settle for “good enough” either. If a design agency can’t wow you with their own site, how can they expect to create something that’ll do that to your customers?
Remember to consider how their site makes you feel and focus on the elements you want to replicate on your site. That could be great looks, specific functionality, or even fast loading speeds. The more they can demonstrate they know what they’re doing, the more confident you can be that they’ll make a difference to your brand.
How to Choose a Web Design Company on Evidence
Everyone has to start somewhere, but if you’re entrusting your online visibility to a brand, you want to know they’ve got a track record. An hour spent in their portfolio can save days of tweaks and fixes in the future.
Great designers take pride in their work, so the lack of a portfolio can be a potential red flag. That’s the bare minimum, too. Ideally, you’ll want to see case studies showcasing the visuals and what went on behind the scenes to make for a truly fantastic website.
Think of it as hiring an employee. Don’t focus solely on the result. Also, look into the journey and consider problem-solving, creativity, and other factors that can set a design brand apart from the competition.
The Price Makes Sense
It’s easy to decide that you want the best website money can buy. However, it would be best if you didn’t forget you have a business to run, which means considering the return on investment.
There’s nothing wrong with splashing out where there’s no other option. Your sales funnel may require functionality no plugin can provide. You might decide to fully rebrand the business as part of the new site design, meaning new graphics. They all come with a cost, and only you can determine what you can justify.
Even better, any design brand with confidence in its abilities will have no problem talking through how its services can boost your bottom line. They can’t predict the future, but don’t be surprised if shortlisted agencies start talking numbers!
They Collaborate From the Outset
Think of a web design company as an extension of your brand. Sure, even the best companies have processes and templates they reuse occasionally. Nevertheless, you can often tell how a relationship will go from the first meeting.
They’ll serve up plenty of web design advice, but the best partners are interested in your requirements and work around them.
Those requirements could span nothing more than wanting your site to look good – web design companies are happy to take that and run with it. However, they’ll also consider:
- Your brand voice and target audience
- Specific goals in terms of visitors, revenue, and anything else critical to your business
- What your business does, why, and how that translates to your online presence
Remember that while you want a partnership, you’re still a paying customer, so don’t be afraid to put forward your own ideas!
Check Their Additional Services
One of the biggest differentiators between web design and other creative pursuits is that while it requires a flair for good looks, it’s also a technical role. Larger agencies often have dedicated employees for different roles, enabling some to focus on the look, feel, and usability while others write the code that makes it happen.
They’ll make your site live, but what happens next? One of the best web design tips you could ever hear is that no website is ever truly finished. There’s always room for improvement, from new blog posts to split testing user engagement and anything else that drives results.
That factors into the initial choice of a design company. How many of these additional tasks can they do for you?
You don’t have to put all your eggs in one basket, but if you can build a strong relationship with an agency that’s invested in your success, making the right call early on can pay dividends for many years to come.
They’re Transparent
Transparency and trust are underrated in the business world. However, you shouldn’t underestimate their importance to customers – if they don’t trust your website, they won’t trust you with their credit card details either!
In this situation, you’re the customer, so what have the web design companies on your shortlist done to build that trust?
An excellent company will not only tell you what they plan to do but also how they intend to achieve it. Even more importantly, they’ll happily be held accountable when their plans pay off. Again, they can’t tell you exactly how things will play out, but they’ll demonstrate what they expect to happen and why.
Most importantly of all, if something goes off track, they’ll start looking for fixes before you have to ask. It’s not too much to ask for a proactive design company that not only learns on the job but adapts accordingly!
Give Your Site the Attention It Deserves!
So, there we have it – the critical considerations around how to choose a web design company. Every brand is different and will have its own requirements, but finding the perfect partner ranks among the most critical parts of the process.
Whether you’ve already got a website or you’re looking to create something brand new, we’ve got you covered with hundreds of articles around technology and online business. Now that you’ve read this web design guide, take a look around our blog – you might just find the inspiration for your next great idea!