Deciding who to go to for your next website project can be both exciting and stressful. The process of creating a website from start to finish encompasses a variety of proficiencies, such as design, development, marketing, and strategy, which puts a lot of magnitude on selecting the right agency for your business.
Because there are so many factors that are put into play when deciding which web design agency to go with, it’s important to know the right questions to ask internally to help determine the ideal agency you will want to work with. We’ve created a list of questions for you and your team to take into consideration to help expedite selecting the right web design agency for your next project.
What’s The Overall Scope Of Your Project?
If your next project is just going to be a landing page to help drive conversions, then a smaller agency may be the way to go. If your project is going to be a complete website overhaul and redesign, then a mid-size to large agency will probably fit the bill.
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Building, or re-building, a website requires a lot of strategy behind it, so it’s important to keep in mind that you’ll want to look for an agency that covers a variety of competencies to make the project more organized and manageable. This brings us to the next question…
Is The Agency Multifaceted?
Although you’re coming to an agency primarily for their ability to design and develop a cohesive website, it’s important to take into consideration whether or not the agency is more of a “One-Trick Pony” or a “Jack of All Trades.” The agencies that do it the best are the latter, where they have different departments that specialize in one particular aspect of your website, but work together to make it all one complete package.
Agencies that provide the design, development, strategy, and marketing solutions give you the convenience and peace of mind knowing that one agency fully understands the goals you wish to achieve and the best way to attain them.
Does The Agency Have A Proven Track Record?
The best way to determine whether a particular agency is the best fit for you is to take a look at what they’ve done. While you’re rummaging through different agency websites, be sure to take a look at their portfolio or case studies of past websites they’ve done.
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Take note of the design and usability of the sites, and for case studies, take note of how those sites’ performance stood out from the rest.
Do They Have Experience In More Than One Industry?
Some agencies only specialize in one particular industry, while others take on a plethora of industries to broaden their portfolio. Let’s say your company specializes in a very niche industry, like roofing or refrigerators.
The ideal candidate would probably be the agency with the broad portfolio due to the fact that they have dealt with a variety of markets. This shows that they’re versatile with the strategies they put together and have a more tailored method of creating your website.
Do They Stay Up-To-Date With The Latest Trends In Web Design And Development?
Web design and development is a fickle beast. Websites are the byproduct of the fast-moving tech industry, so trends usually don’t last very long. Skimming through their portfolio of custom websites can help with your decision. Oh, and if they’re not building responsive sites, don’t even think about it!
Do They Design With Conversion In Mind?
The best agencies you’d want to target for your next website project are ones that design with conversion in mind. They need to have a clear understanding of which elements of a website have the most potential to get users to convert.
Related: How Does Design Fit Into Your Marketing Efforts?
A good indicator for a suitable agency would be one that has a specialty in conversion rate optimization. CRO agencies should know how to properly design a website, laying out pieces in the most ideal place for conversion. CRO also gives leeway for testing a page to see whether one layout converts better than another.
Do They Listen To Your Ideas, As Well As Include Their Own?
Don’t get it wrong, this is your project and you have final say on what’s approved, and you definitely want to find an agency that can put together the best site that reflects your business the right way. However, you definitely don’t want a “yes man” to create your website.
Everyone’s got their own expertise, and the reason you’re going to an agency to build your site is because building sites is their expertise. Building a website that perfectly reflects your business is a collaborative effort, so it’s important to get a sufficient amount of input from both parties to create the best product.
