First impressions matter, especially in business. Your website is usually the first place a potential customer visits to learn more about your business. When a customer lands on your website, you want them to stay. The site should be easy to navigate, fun to look at, and informational.
The website design should grow traffic and convert sales using strong SEO, a professional content strategy, and conversion paths for each of your customer profiles. Your website also needs effective landing pages, lean code, and engaging copy.
This sounds overwhelming because it is. As a result, many companies hire professional web development firms to increase their online presence and brand value. This process can be more painless than it seems if you ask yourself the following questions designed to help you choose the right web development company for your business.
You often need to spend a great deal of time choosing a reliable web development company among a broad range of software development service providers. Our team put together the 6 most important questions to ask when selecting the right web development company.
#1: Are They a Fit For Your Brand?
Nobody knows your brand better than you. When outsourcing a web development company, it is important to be very clear about your brand guidelines. Brand guidelines are a set of rules that explain how your brand works.
These guidelines include basic information such as your brand's history, vision, personality, and key values. You must clearly articulate these guidelines to see if they are a fit for your company’s style.
Once you can express your brand guidelines inside and out, seek out web development companies with expertise in your niche. Study their online portfolio for consistent quality. Also, don't just talk to your assigned sales representative when interviewing a firm.
Ask to interview designers and behind the scene technicians to get a feel for how they communicate as a team. A good web development company works together as a team to achieve the best outcomes for their clients.
#2: Can they build the website you need?
It's critical to check if a firm's previous work is responsive and functional on different platforms like mobile, desktop, and tablets. Make sure the company is up to date on the latest web development and design software and technology.
Your team should convey the type of website you want to be built. Will your website need an e-commerce platform? Is your website informational only? Will you need a contact form or an automated chatbot service? Do you need web hosting? Knowing this information will help you make an informed decision when hiring a web development company.
Look for companies who understand how web development and design impacts SEO. Ask how they use title tags, keywords, image optimization, and linking to increase your website's visibility. They should also be experts in URL structure and keyword optimization.
#3: How Much Ongoing Support Will They Provide?
Your team needs to determine how much help you will need from a web development company. Do you have the capacity to keep the website up to date? Do you need help with content creation? Are they able to train your team on how to manage the website on your own? The right firm will be able to provide the level of support your company needs.
#4: How is Their Online Presence?
Look at every social media platform they are on to see how the company markets itself. Make sure they have images and content that are congruent with the values and goals of your company.
Read reviews or client feedback to assess if they are the right fit. Stagnant or unprofessional social media platforms often indicate that the company will not make an effort to use its skills to grow your business. Also, don't forget to look at Google Business listings and Yelp for any reviews, as these are popular platforms designed for customer feedback.
It goes without saying that the web development company should have a stellar website. Confirm that their company website functions well on all platforms and is easy to navigate. Check out their sales content to make sure they are clearly describing their services. If you enjoy how they built their website, there is a good chance you will like the way they develop your website.
#5: Do they value function and content?
Don't be afraid to tell the web development company your budget. An experienced company will know how to maximize your budget as your business's success directly affects their business's success. If you have a limited budget, don't be pressured into flashy graphics, and don't hire a firm that pushes expensive upgrades over functionality and content.
Web development company should build a professional and easy to navigate website containing digestible content. The graph above reports that 94% of people prefer a website to be easy to navigate, and 91% expect clear descriptions of products and services. Don't put your money into expensive technology such as automated chatbot software if your website site doesn't have basic functionality and content.
#6: Do they respect deadlines?
Be sure to hire a web development company that can work within your time frame. Set clear deadlines and hire a firm that can work within that amount of time. The firm should give you a timeline of when certain aspects of your website will be complete and communicate with you during the process.
Ask the company how they communicate delays and what their policies are for missed deadlines. Set precise criteria, so there is little wiggle room. For example, ask for concrete dates for design idea meetings, content delivery, and website launches.
Key Takeaways
Take your time and do your research to find a web agency that fits your budget and needs. It's vital to look for a company that you can easily communicate with and respects the deadlines your team needs for success. The right company will also take the time to learn about your business to create a site that has relevant content that your customers want.
Hiring the right web development company means a positive user experience for your customer. A well-built website that represents your business will help you achieve your sales goals. You want a website that is intuitive to navigate on both desktop and mobile devices.
At the end of the day, the decision is yours. Do your research, and don't hesitate to take your time and ask questions.