Many companies and freelancers offer web design services. But how do you find the right one for you? Choosing the right professional to create your company’s website is an important step. In this post, we will try to give you some tips on how to choose the right agency for your website.
1. List your needs and goals
The first step in choosing a web agency is to establish a set of specifications.
This preliminary research allows you to determine all the criteria to take into account. Listing the key elements will guide your search and help you make decisions. The development of a company’s website represents a budget that can be significant. It is therefore a project that must be based on precise objectives, justifying the resources committed. Ask yourself at least the following questions.
Even if you don’t have all the technical skills to answer them, it will greatly simplify the selection of the right provider.
Ask yourself the first three questions:
- What are your goals: to get customers, to build brand awareness, to sell online.
- What are your constraints: does it have to be done quickly, in a particular technology, have a particular look, …
- What is your budget?
2. Make a pre-selection of agencies
Once you have defined your requirements, you can start by making a list of a few agencies you want to include in the evaluation process. You can either look for public information using a standard search (using google, professional directories, …) or use your own network to find references who have worked on a project you know. You can even take a look at the website you like and check if the name of an agency is listed in the footer of the website.
3. Check out the agencies’ websites
After you have made your choice, take a look at the websites of the agencies you have selected. Do they feature the team that will be working for you? Are the company’s projects highlighted and well known? How long has the agency been in business? Will they be able to meet your needs? Finally, is the site well designed and well referenced? All these elements will help you choose your website creation provider.
Some agencies are more specialized in certain types of projects than others. You can determine this by looking at the agency’s website. Try to see if it fits your needs.
4. Check the agency’s references
Next, it is important to always check the references of the web design agencies you are considering working with. Do you know the names of the client companies? Do the websites you have created represent the client brand/company well? Would you use this site? Do they have a history with companies in your field?
You should at least ask yourself this question before contacting an agency. This will help you determine if the agency has the experience to work on your very specific project.
If you have any doubts, you can even contact the references listed on the agency’s website to ask how their experience was with the agency in question. This can sometimes give you a very good idea of how the agency works, and if they are a good fit for you.
5. Request a few bids and make a decision
Once you have completed this step, you can start requesting a few quotes from the agencies you have selected. When requesting a quote, try to include as much detail as possible. Clarity in your specifications will be crucial in ensuring that the bid you receive is for an implementation that meets your requirements.
When you receive your bids, review them, but don’t focus on the price. Ask yourself: how long did it take to receive a bid? Does it look professional? Did the agency listen to my needs and requirements? Does the quote have any written language? What is the pricing policy for changes outside the scope of the quote (e.g. what will it cost to adapt a simple image 6 months after your website goes live). What are your revision rights during the construction process, …
All the above questions should be enough to make your final decision and start the development process.