Your website is the face of your company on the internet. For this reason you want to be sure you choose a web design company that knows what it is doing and has a strong history of creating websites. Your website needs to be attractive, easy to use, and engaging. Not everyone has the same skill set or experience, so here are 10 things to take care of when choosing a web design company.
Check Their Experience
Ask to see their portfolio. Check the quality of the websites they have designed. Don’t hire them if they can’t show you quality work in their portfolio.
Ask how long they have been in the web design business. It is not an unwise decision to hire a new company, but their designers need to have plenty of experience behind them.
Ask for referrals. Check with past clients to see how happy they are with the company’s work. Ask past clients if the design company was easy to work with, and if they met their deadlines. Also check if the company stayed on budget. If they can’t provide you with any client referrals, choose another company.
Local or Remote?
You may want to stay with a local company, or hire one that is on the other side of the planet. There are pros and cons to hiring both types of companies. With a local company you can meet with them face to face, but with the popularity of Skype and other messaging services you can also meet with your designers in a video chat.
One of the most common concerns when hiring a company that is not based locally is the language barrier. You will have to be explicit about your needs and make sure the designers know exactly what you want. (This can also be true of local companies as well.)
Ask if the company adheres to internationally recognized design standards. These are standards which help to keep websites uniform and attractive. While they are not really rules, they are accepted practices quality design companies use when designing websites.
Budget Concerns
Before you hire a web design company, have your budget planned out. This will help the company you finally hire know how much you can spend. Without a set budget you may end up paying much more than you wanted for your website.
Ask for weekly updates on costs and progress of your website. This will help keep your budget on track and you won’t get any surprises at the end of the project.
Do They Know SEO?
Search engine optimization is one of the keys to a successful website. The web design company you hire needs to be up to date on the latest SEO practices.
Ask them how they will optimize your website. Have them give you specific examples of how they plan to accomplish this task.
If you do your homework before you hire a web design company, you will end up with an effective website that will attract customers and promote conversions. Don’t just go with the cheapest bid. Take time to get to know the potential companies you want to hire, and you will make the best choice and get the website you need.
