Any small business knows it will at some point have to hire a website design company. While it’s important to have pages built out on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and even Pinterest, creating a branded website is a must-have to be able to control your own branding and messaging.
However, choosing to work with a new web design or web development company comes with many questions. Does the company have a history of good designs? Recommendations and testimonials from past clients? Are the prices in line with current market rates?
As you can see, there are a handful of concerns any small business should consider when deciding to hire a new web design agency.
Let’s take a look at 5 considerations to keep in mind when hiring a new web developer.
1. Check References
Anyone can say they operate a web development company, but it’s important to view references and see the work they have done previously. You should be able to do some quick Googling or view the company’s own website to understand the type of work they do.
2. Decide a Budget
Websites can range from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars depending on the requirements. You’ll want to look for a development company who can appropriately come up with a budget based on your requirements. And remember, if a full-fledged development company is too expensive for your needs, you could try out a new student from an online coding school. The work will still be great and these students are simply trying to build out their portfolio.
3. Does the Developer Understand Marketing?
One major consideration is if the developer has a basic understanding of marketing. There is a distinct separation between web designers and those who market a website; you should look for someone or a company that can meet both of these needs. It’s one thing to build a great website, but it’s another thing to be able to market it through SEO, pay per click advertising and social media.
4. Evaluate the Approach to Project Management
Project management is a key piece of having a new website developed. It’s important to work with a partner that will show you the steps along the way and collaborate with you to develop the best possible website. There are several project management tools available and any qualified web development company will use a mix of them. The most important piece is to be engaged with the project management and provide any necessary materials your web developer requires.
5. Performance Optimizations
A website may have a beautiful design, but if it is not fast and functional, what is it really worth? Most modern web platforms have a variety of performance optimizations that need to be implemented to ensure speed, functionality and user experience is properly dialed in. When interviewing a new web designer or local web developer, ask them questions regarding pagespeed and performance optimizations. If they don’t have a clear understanding of this, you’ll want to try to work with someone else.
If you have recently had a new website created, what were your top considerations? We would love to know in the discussion below.
