With 87% of buyers beginning their journey online, there is no arguing the importance of a website for a modern-day business.
Once you decide on creating a new website for your business, one of your foremost concerns would be hiring a web designer who is up to the task.
Research shows that 48% of consumers cite website design as the No. 1 credibility factor, so you know the stakes are high.
How To Choose A Web Design Company
Choosing a web design company can either make your website a success or break your dreams and leave you as nothing more than an online failure.
So, how do you filter out the best from the rest?
Here are a few tips that will assist you in choosing the right web design company:
Be Proactive About Your Design Requirements
With the average user taking .05 seconds to form an opinion on your website, you need to be at the very top of the design process to ensure your website reflects your business and your ethos.
In other words, before collaborating with a web design agency that employs WordPress experts, you need to have a rough idea of how you want your website to look and how you want it to function.
Maybe you want to generate leads for your business or integrate customer relationship management (CRM) software for detailed analysis. Do you want to have a payment option? Or forms you want users to fill? What level of security do you require?
As a business owner, you need to paint a picture of an ideal website and see how your potential design partner reacts to it.
Remember, your website is an important aspect of your online presence, and you would want to hire a person who is as motivated as you are.
Look out for technically sound modifications on your ideas because this shows the level at which the web design company operates. Ask the web designers how they expect to cater to your requirements, and beware of any company that agrees with whatever you suggest. Chances are, they are only interested in the money and not really concerned about your website.
Ask For Previous Proof Of Work
Nothing speaks louder than experience. Before hiring a web design company, it is important to see its work portfolio. This will reveal its style, design and technical expertise with website designing.
Additionally, ask if the web design company has worked in your niche before because, depending on your industry, you may need to make suitable alterations to the design. For example, a professional tax audit service website has to differ – even if slightly – from one that belongs to a sports agency.
Be a fair judge of its previous work and look for the following aspects:
- Is it responsive?
- Is the navigation intuitive and natural?
- How do the visual and text-based components overlap?
- Is the content easy to read?
A top web design company ensures that aesthetics are supported with a great user experience.
Emphasis On User Experience
User experience is the key metric to ascertain the quality of your website. Even if you do pass the .05-second test, you are far from guaranteeing conversions.
Your web design must emphasize your web content if you are to ensure online success. In fact, 77% of agencies believe a bad User Experience is a weakness for their clients.
Design is more than the structure and functionality of the website. There has to be actual substance that entices the visitor to convert into a buyer. When looking for web design companies to partner with, pay close attention to the level of content they typically deliver.
You can assess their quality by observing how deep they are willing to dig in your niche, the level of industry research they have done prior to meeting you and how they plan to cater to your target audience. The content has to sit well with the design, and you should be wary of agencies that only prioritize appearance over content.
While the appeal of your website may lead to a lower bounce rate, it is the quality of content that will eventually impact your conversion rate.
Assess Their Tech-Savviness
At the end of the day, web design requires you to be at the very top of every development that occurs throughout the rapidly changing digital arena. It is only logical that you expect the company you work with to be at the top of its game.
Here are some questions you should ask your web design company:
What CRM Do They Use?
Static HTML websites are a thing of the past. Modern websites are designed using content management systems (CMS), such as WordPress and Magento. Without a CMS in place, you’ll find yourself calling a web developer every other week for a site upgrade.
Are They Proficient With Responsive Web Design?
Heading into 2020, responsive web design should be the basic prerequisite for a website. 61% of users do not return to a site if they have an unpleasant experience while accessing it the first time. In fact, 40% visit a competitor’s site instead.
With mobile devices contributing 63% of global internet use by the end of 2019, responsive web design is necessary for your website to survive in the cut-throat digital landscape.
Do They Offer Ongoing Maintenance and Optimization Services?
Building a website is hard work but just as much effort goes into maintaining and optimizing it. For businesses that employ a digital marketing team, this might be negligible. For small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) you can find a long-term partner in your web design company.
Web design professionals who know what they are doing would happily prolong the engagement through on-going optimization and performance-measuring services.
Choosing the best web design company for your website isn’t going to be quick, but finding a good team of designers is actually worth the wait.
Using these tips for searching for a web design partner can allow you to create a website that not only looks great but is also optimized for conversions to help your revenue soar.
Is your business in need of web design services help? Do you need a logo or to redesign your existing logo? Maybe you need video production assistance for your website. Or, is it simply time for a fresh look? If so, contact Thrive today to jump-start your business.
