Hiring a website design agency may be one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your business’s life cycle. Whether you need a quick update or want to start fresh with an entirely new design, you have to choose a website design agency that knows what it’s doing and knows how to do it well.
The following seven traits are essential to finding such an agency. This comprehensive list will help you find the best agency for your needs. If your current agency does not meet at least four of these criteria, it might be time to look for another one.
1. Team
A top website design agency doesn’t rely on one person. Instead, they’re an actual team with various skill sets and people who work together to ensure that projects are completed within set deadlines.
A solid group will also be willing to make necessary changes as project goals shift or new technologies arise. A good website design agency, for example, will be able to swap out your CMS (content management system) quickly if you realize that your current system isn’t working well.
2. Process
Good communication is paramount to any type of relationship, whether romantic or professional. And, if you want to hire one of the best website design companies in town, understanding their working process will be your key factor in picking that company.
You need someone who can take your ideas and translate them into something visual. After all, that’s what you're paying for. If you feel there's always some sort of disconnect with the working process of your current designer, it might be time to look for another agency.
3. Communication
Most people don’t realize that communication skills are paramount in today’s business world. You can have an exceptional product or service. Still, if you can’t deliver your message and create relationships with potential clients or partners, you might miss some opportunities.
A quality website design agency should be able to translate your idea into something that works for everyone: from website visitors to search engines. In fact, SEO (search engine optimization) isn’t just about driving traffic; it’s also about making sure customers stay on your site and complete their desired action. Websites are now not only necessary tools for eCommerce, but they are also essential components of branding.
A great website design agency will ensure your site showcases who you are and what makes you unique. Your online presence is as important as any other aspect of your business, so make sure it’s done right.
4. References
The secret to any successful business is building a relationship with your clients. A great website design agency isn’t just interested in getting your project out on time and under budget. They want to hear from you when you need their services again, and they want to be there for you every step of the way through your project. This means offering training as soon as you sign on, providing feedback and reviewing suggestions throughout your web design process, and walking you through any problems arising after your site has gone live.
When an agency treats its clients like team members — not just dollar signs — great things happen for everyone involved. You get excellent service, quality products, and peace of mind. And they get repeat customers who trust them and refer others to them. It all starts with communication. The best agencies are transparent about everything from pricing to progress reports, so you know exactly what’s going on at all times. And if something goes wrong or doesn’t meet your expectations, they take responsibility and fix it right away.
5. Case Studies
When you partner with an agency with experience, it makes sense to find out if they have done work in similar industries. Having case studies of their work gives you insight into how they approach various problems and what problem-solving methodologies they employ.
Think about which problems your company might face and your unique solutions; ideally, finding an agency that has faced similar situations will give you some confidence in its ability to help your business succeed. You should also look for agencies that share case studies with other businesses so you can benefit from their successes as well as learn from their mistakes.
In addition, it’s important to check references. Call up other clients or check online reviews. Remember: just because an agency is successful doesn’t mean they’re right for you — but knowing what issues previous clients encountered is helpful when looking at prospective partners.
6. Security Certifications
In an increasingly connected world, more businesses than ever need website security certification. In fact, customers will most likely assume that your business is using top-notch security systems. By hiring an agency with web application and digital marketing experience, you’ll ensure that your website can handle all types of traffic, visitors and applications.
Adding security to your website should be as important as picking a name. After all, there’s no point in having one without another; both are equally important parts of building credibility online and in real life. Make sure your partners have great track records when securing websites — it's not something that just anyone can do.
Be wary of any company that says they can design a site, build it and secure it at once. You want to make sure you get everything right from day one: That means consulting someone who knows what they're doing before beginning development work. The last thing you want is to spend thousands on designing only to realize that your site isn't going to secure visitors' information or deliver them valuable content.
7. Clients
This should be obvious, but it’s worth mentioning. Clients are at the top of your priority list — they’re paying you, after all. Start with them first when brainstorming new projects and work to understand their needs. You can better provide solutions that work best for them and ultimately provide value to your clients in return by keeping them in mind.
A good agency puts its clients' interests first, so it doesn’t take too much effort to remember that they matter more than anything else (even if it takes occasional reminders). For example, if a project goes south or is over budget, talk about options like spending less money on various parts of your design or only working with existing templates instead of creating from scratch.