Tips For Choosing A Web Design Company

How to Choose a Web Design Company

The world is ever increasingly turning digital, and the way we do business online is accelerating at a pace like never before. A well optimised and designed website is no longer just a luxury business expense but a must for any business looking to be taken seriously by their audience and customers. You may be thinking that now is the time to get your business online or are looking for a website design agency that can help redesign your existing website – but what do you need to look out for when hiring a prospective agency to do it for you? This blog will cover the basic questions you should ask any web designer or agency and consider before hiring one. 

Getting Started – Shortlisting Agencies

The first thing you will want to do is shortlist a few agencies that offer website design services. There are a few things to consider when shortlisting a design agency before you contact them. As the old saying goes, forearmed is forewarned! 

1. Check out their portfolio: This is where you can get a feel for the style and flair of the company. Each website designer has a way of working, and each will have little quirks and styles for presenting a website. So make sure you like their style and design flair. Visit a few of their previous client’s websites and check for mobile responsiveness, quality of design and content presentation etc. 
2. Check the agency’s website: If the agency you are going to work with does not take the time and effort to update their website or even have one at all, what is to say they are not going to abandon your website once they have the money in the bank? 
3. Pricing: How does their pricing fit in with your budget, does it leave room for any contingencies and does it cover everything you will need? 
4. Online reviews: Does the agency have good online reviews on independent review sites like Google and Trustpilot? 

Knowing what type of company you will be working with before contacting them will give you a good idea if they are a good working fit for your business and your forthcoming project. 

Questions to Ask Before Selecting Your Web Designer

Once you have shortlisted a few web designers, the next step is to contact them and ask a few questions. Having answers to the questions below will give you a better idea of their process, what is included and what you might need to be more hands-on with providing. Not all website designers will provide everything required for a website or fulfil all your requirements, so finding this out sooner rather than later is always the best approach. 

1. Have you designed a website for my specific industry/niche before? – Prior knowledge of your industry is not always a must, but knowledge of the requirements needed for your website is. 
2. Do you provide the content for the website? If they do not provide the content needed to make the website, do they offer this as an additional service, or when will they require it? 
3. How long will the design project take? Knowing this in advance keeps everyone accountable, and knowing when the completion date is will keep everyone honest and on track. 
4. Do you work with custom or template websites? Are you buying a custom-designed site or just a template with fresh content? This is key if you are not looking to look the same as a competitor. 
5. What Content Management System(s) do you use?  If you want to be able to self manage the website once it is live or where the website will be hosted, it is vital to know which CMS system, if any, the website will be made with. 
6. Do you optimise websites for mobile and SEO? Having a website that can be found and one that all types of users can use is a critical factor in buying a new or revamping an existing website. Ensure that the new website will be mobile responsive and designed around even the most essential SEO principles. 
7. How many design revisions do you allow for? As a rule, most website designers will factor in revisions as standard, but it is always best to be sure you know if this is the case in advance or if these will cost you extra. 
8. Will our present site experience downtime while designing our new website? Most good website designers will completely redesign a website on a sub-domain or off the site, so there is no disruption to your current website but ensure you check this first. 
9. Will I own the website once it’s launched? Website ownership is a hot topic, and sadly not many small business owners find out who owns their website till it’s too late to do anything about it. Ensure you ask this question before proceeding or handing over any money. 
10. What support do you offer after the site goes live? Knowing what support is available once your website is live could save you a lot of time and money if anything breaks, or you need additional services like website hosting etc. 

How to Choose a Web Design Company Summary

Knowing what website design company to choose for your project can be a minefield, but it is easy to narrow down the companies to choose from if you do your research and ask the right questions. When choosing a website designer, the most important thing to consider is that they are a good fit for both you to work with and your project overall. Price is the second most crucial factor, and finding the right designer at the right price is where the challenge begins! 

Here at Morgan Branding, we have been helping clients from all over Warrington and the surrounding areas with their website design needs and have the skills and the passion for helping you get the website your business needs. So if you are looking for a Warrington website designer, get in touch today, and we can see if we can help you with your quest to find the right designer at the right price! 

Need further advice? Get in touch with us here at Morgan Branding; we have a fully dedicated team ready to help you and your business get ahead online. You can get in touch via our contact page or social with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn! 

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