If you’re considering hiring a web design agency, you’ll want to make sure to ask the right questions before signing on the dotted line. Here are 10 important questions that every business owner should ask their potential web design agency:
Do you have any case studies of past projects I can review?
Case studies are a great way to assess the quality of a web design agency. They allow you to see how they work, how they approach problems, and what solutions they come up with. You can also use case studies as a benchmark for other agencies you’re considering hiring, making it easier to compare them.
What types of website design services do you offer?
There are several types of website design services:
- Design, development, and maintenance. This is the most common type of service provided by web design agencies. The agency will help you create a new website or update an existing one. They’ll also help maintain your site by making sure that it’s secure and optimized for search engines.
- Content management systems (CMS). Many agencies offer CMS solutions, which allow their clients to manage their own websites without contacting the agency whenever they want to make a change. A huge advantage if you don’t have time or resources available in-house! However, some CMSs aren’t as easy-to-use as others. Make sure yours comes with good customer support so you don’t get stuck playing tech support for someone else’s product!
Do you specialize in any particular industries or platforms?
Knowing what you want is important if you’re looking for a web design agency. Do you have a specific industry or platform in mind? Do you need a responsive website that works across all devices and browsers, or do you just want something simple with some basic functionality?
If so, then it’s time to ask yourself some questions about what kind of work your potential web designer does best:
Where are you based?
First, you need to know where the web design company is based. This will help you determine if they are close enough to meet with them in person. If not, it will also help you decide if remote working is an option for them or not.
If they have an office near your business’s base and you don’t mind traveling to their location during the meeting (or even after), great! But if they’re far away from where your business operates and/or if there isn’t enough time in the schedule for frequent travel back and forth between cities, then this could become a problem down the road when deadlines start piling up, and things start getting stressful.
What is your process for designing websites?
You should clearly understand how your website design agency will approach the project. This is especially important if you’re hiring a team of designers who may not all be working together on every project or if you’re working with an agency that employs freelancers and contractors.
- What is their process for designing websites?
- Is it well-defined, documented, repeatable, and flexible enough to accommodate different types of projects?
- Does it include steps for reviewing designs with clients and getting feedback from them before moving forward?
- How long does each step take? From the conception of ideas through finalizing mockups and launching the site live online (including testing)?
It’s also important to ask: What are some common pitfalls in this process? How can we avoid them during our project together?
Do you offer any additional services, such as SEO or hosting?
SEO is a service that helps to increase traffic to your website. It can be done by either the company or yourself, but it’s important that you do it regularly. A lot of people think SEO only means making sure your content has keywords in it that are relevant to what you’re trying to sell. However, many other factors are involved in getting ranked higher on search engines such as Google and Bing and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Your site also needs good design so people will want to stay on your page longer than five seconds!
What type of maintenance can I expect after launching the website?
If you want to change the content of your website, such as adding or removing pages, you will need to hire a Web developer. You will need to hire a Web designer to make design changes (such as changing colors). If there are layout issues with the site that need fixing, then again, it’s best if you hire someone who knows what they’re doing regarding coding and designing websites. And that means hiring another web designer or developer!
How will the project be managed, and what is your timeline for completion?
You should be able to expect that your web design agency will manage the project for you. They should have a timeline for completion, which may vary depending on the complexity of your project. As a client, you’ll want to be kept informed of progress throughout the process so that there are no surprises at any point in time.
What do you need from me?
The first step in the process is to provide a list of content you want to include on the site. This will help your web design agency understand what type of information should be included, what format it should be in, and how long each page should be. It’s also important that you provide them with a list of keywords and phrases that are relevant to your industry so they can optimize these pages for search engines.
If possible, provide any logos or branding guidelines and other assets (such as photos), so the designer can use them when designing their mockups for you!
How much will the project cost?
You can expect to pay a web design agency anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000 for the development of your site. This includes all the costs of creating it, including design and development time, hosting, and maintenance fees.
If you’re looking for a freelance web designer instead of an agency, then you should expect to pay anywhere between $5,000-$25 per month. Depending on how big your project is and how long it takes them to complete it. However, if you’re looking for someone who does good work but doesn’t cost as much money per month, then try searching on Upwork or Freelancer websites, where freelancers compete with each other by bidding on projects posted by employers like yourself!
If building your website seems like too much work, why not buy one instead? Many pre-made templates available online allow users without any coding knowledge to create their own customized websites quickly & easily using drag & drop functionality within their browser window!
Conclusion
The bottom line is that you should never feel pressured into making a decision. You should always ask questions and be sure that you have all of the information necessary before hiring any company for your website design needs. Remembering that the right agency will take care of everything is also important. From creating an awesome design and launching it online to maintaining it over time, so your business continues growing!