Almost no business today could survive without a compelling web presence in the form of websites and social media intellectual properties. Technology has turned websites into the most important business cards; ones that display your most important information and means of contact, but also one that contains subtle clues into your work ethic, sense of style, and attention to detail. This is why banking on the best is a compulsion when it comes to choosing web design talent.
A sloppy website can cost you many lucrative projects. While there are several DIY platforms, the task of creating one of your most important business assets should be left to the right set of professionals; especially if you mean business in all terms. The right web designing vendor is going to help you create a highly-tailored website that is not only visually appealing to your audience but also serves the industry-specific purpose. With a boom in demand for their services, there are lots of offers with widely varying price ranges. So how to know which one to hire?
In this blog post, we will be helping you gain a decisive edge when it comes to hiring the right web design company for your organization.
1. Due Diligence
If you have a business email, you have probably received emails reading something like: “Dear Sir/Madam, we are web design company from the USA…” There is no need to warn you against a misspelled, template-based message from a stranger, but hiring the first service that pops in a Google search is almost the same thing as hiring the people that wrote the spam message.
Might sound like a cliche, but listen to that little voice of conscience whenever you first come across a profile for a web designing vendor. You need to do your due diligence and understand as much as you can about the company before making a choice to move forward. A good way to find more information is to use Check People. They can give you a comprehensive report with the most important highlight about a business and the people behind it.
2. Evaluate Their Own Website
If you are a professional hairstylist, your hair should be in-style, all the time. No one will hire a financial advisor with an extensive history of bankruptcies; it would be difficult to find work as a fitness trainer if you are extremely overweight. See a pattern?
The website of a web design agency should be flawless and offer plenty of functionalities. It should load swiftly, run smoothly, have no missing or dead pages/links, and truly portray a sense of style. Pay attention to details: did you catch a spelling or grammar mistake? Do they use the same stock images that you see everywhere or original photography? Is the navigation clear and straightforward? What do you think about their contact page? A thorough analysis of an agency’s website will let you understand how they work and the results you’ll probably get from them.
Check out their portfolio, their website, their social media channels, and their LinkedIn profile to verify their digital presence.
3. Never Overlook the Interview Process
Hiring a web design agency should be treated with the same professionalism as hiring an important employee. You should clearly state what you need, ask for references (call them and cross-check their answers) and interview the strongest candidates. Begin by scanning through their portfolio and cross-check their existing projects that are live on the Internet. If you are able to verify how their delivered projects are performing in the present, you will be able to get an estimate of your project’s excellence.
Here are a few standard questions that you should include in your interview are:
- What excites you the most about our designing project requirement?
- Can you talk about a few examples of projects similar to what we need?
- Can you give us an exact timeline? What are the issues that could slow down the process?
- Can you give us more information about the professional background of the team that will be involved in the project?
- What do you need from our company?
- Do you provide a comprehensive service that includes text and images, or do you need us to provide them?
- Do you provide maintenance services?
- What is the price estimate or budget?
- How do you choose a web hosting service? Can you give me information about their average downtime? (it should never be more than 1-2 percent). Is the hosting cost covered in your budget?
- After finishing the project, what type of continued support do you offer? Does it have an extra cost? How fast will you solve problems in case they arise?
4. A Professional Contract
An attorney should draft a contract stating the terms of the agreement, the payment process (will your project need to be paid-in-full before starting, or will you pay for each stage as it moves forward (we recommend the second option). In this contract, a very clear timeline should be established, as well as penalization for any shortcomings should be clearly laid down.
Make sure that every detail is covered, such as hosting payments, webmaster services, customer support, and any other thing that you think is important. Having a professional contract is the best way to protect you against a poor job or other issues. This also is immensely helpful for the web designing company that you are going to hire.
In your contract, you should also state that you need follow-up sessions to supervise the project. Ideally, a staff member from the design agency will be appointed as your project manager. Constant supervision will help you ensure that the project meets your standards at every step. If you need something to be changed or corrected, it is better to catch it before the whole project is finished.
Conclusion:
Choosing the right vendor to render web designing services for your website requirements is imperative. The right ones make sure that your website is capable of attracting a new audience and retaining the existing ones while keeping them hooked to new updates.