Three months into your website project isn’t the time to realize you’ve chosen the wrong web design agency. Yet most brands choose a web design agency based on price or portfolio alone, and that can end up being a very expensive mistake!
Yet you’re here because you know your website needs work. Maybe it’s outdated, perhaps it’s not converting, or maybe it doesn’t exist yet. But even with the best intentions and a great checklist in hand, as you sift through your options, you’re going to feel overwhelmed.
There are thousands of options available, from full-scale agencies to independent freelancers. Budgets can range from a couple hundred bucks to tens of thousands of dollars. And since you don’t need to meet with your website designer face-to-face, you could choose someone located anywhere in the country (or even the world) if they meet your needs.
Talk about pressure!
Take a deep breath and slow down for a moment. Let’s explore the key factors you should consider when choosing the ideal web design partner for your business or nonprofit. Take it from someone who has worked as a contractor for multiple agencies and independent web designers over the years, and learned the good, the bad, and the ugly from a client experience standpoint: Here’s what really matters.
Step 1: Define Your Goals and Timeline
Before you begin your search, take some time to define your goals. A professional agency or designer will ask you questions like these at the beginning of the discovery process, so it saves time if you’ve already considered some of the answers!
- What are you hoping to achieve with your new website? For example, are you doing this to strategically increase sales, or just meet the minimum standard for having an online presence in your industry?
- Think about the must-have features on the site. Do you need to sell products through your website? Should people be able to book appointments through your site? Take some time to look at websites from competitors or outside your industry. Capture screenshots of designs or features that you like – your designer would like to see examples!
- What is your ideal timeline for launching your new site? Most people would love to see a brand-new site, like yesterday, but realistically, it takes at least 1-2 months for a complete website build. More complex websites will take longer!
- Will you be doing any of the work yourself (i.e., content writing)? If you are, this could bring your cost down and make working with an independent website designer a better choice. On the other hand, web design agencies bring broader expertise and have the capacity to do a fuller range of services, including content writing and more complex website builds, making them ideal for complicated projects where multiple skill sets are needed.
Step 2: Build Your List of Contacts
Typing “website agencies” into Google will generate a list of agencies that are great at SEO! Your smartest strategy is to turn to trusted networks, first.
Here are a couple of strategies:
- LinkedIn Network: In your search bar, type “website designer” and then select “People” and “1st.” This will show you anyone in your network who is a website designer. Send messages to get conversations started.
- Social Media Post: You could also create a post on your social media platform of choice (I recommend LinkedIn): “I’m looking for a trustworthy [web design agency/independent website designer] to build a website for [brand name]. Could you please recommend one that you have personal experience with?” You will likely get multiple personal recommendations with glowing reviews!
- Word of Mouth: Reach out to other people who work in similar roles as you, online or offline. Ask them who they have used to build or update their websites.
- Local Organizations: Do you belong to your local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, or similar organization? Take a look at the membership list and see if any web designers are on there!
Step 3: Evaluate Portfolios and Experience
After gathering a list of potential web designers, peruse their websites and take a look at some of their past work. What catches your eye? Have they done any work that impresses you, or does it fall flat? Take notes on things that you like (and don’t like) about websites that they’ve built in the past. This will come in very handy once you start talking to them.
As you look at the designers’ portfolios, ask yourself if it looks like they’ve worked in your industry before. Don’t be alarmed if a particular web design agency hasn’t worked in your exact line of work. Web design is a skill set that can be applied across a wide range of market sectors. However, if it looks like a designer really specializes in a particular area, such as e-commerce, and you don’t need that for your site, that could be a sign that they are not the right fit for you.
On the designers’ websites, you will also get a feel for their years of experience, their client satisfaction (look for reviews, testimonials, and case studies), and any awards or recognition they have received. If you don’t see any information in these areas, that could be a red flag.
Step 4: Receive Proposals
Once you have a handful of top contenders in mind, the fun can begin! Schedule consultations with three to five web design agencies or independent designers that you are most excited to talk to. Fewer than three limits your perspective, while more than five creates unnecessary complexity. If you think you need more options, prescreen with brief calls first, and then request proposals only from your strongest matches.
Important: Ask for the same “deliverable” from each agency. While every business packages their services differently, and you will likely not get an exact “apples to apples” proposal comparison, you want to be as close as possible. For example, some agencies include SEO services and some do not; some include content writing and some do not; etc. See if you can get these add-on services as line items in the proposal, so that you can better compare what you’re getting.
Also, as you go through the discovery process with these agencies, take note of their communication style, their responsiveness, and how well they seem to understand your vision. Also, consider how well they listen to you.
- Do you get the feeling they’re just saying “yes” to everything you say? Or do you feel railroaded by their process?
- Will they insert their expertise while respecting your vision?
- Are they asking thoughtful questions about your organization, or do you get the feeling you’re just another number to them?
This is where your “gut” will come into play. I can’t tell you how many times my gut told me “NO, NO, NO” with a client, but I went ahead anyway, and it ended up being a bad decision! The same is true for choosing a partner for your web design project. You are investing a lot of time and money into this; it’s worth it to take your time and choose the vendor that you can really trust.
Step 5: Compare Options
Compare your received proposals side-by-side. While they might not all be “apples to apples,” you should have a very clear idea of what you’d be getting with each option, so you can make an informed decision.
Don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions if you don’t understand what has been written in a particular proposal. As I wrote in the beginning: You’d rather find out now than three months into the project, right?
Remember, you’re not just evaluating based on price, although I know that’s an important consideration. Think about the ROI that you’d be receiving. For example, an agency with robust SEO capabilities might cost more now, but you’d likely receive a better long-term benefit if search engine optimization is important for your organization.
Lastly, before you sign on the dotted line, ask about contracts, ownership rights, payment terms, and post-launch support. After the website goes live, will the design agency help you with snags, or does that cost extra? Get clear about what is included (and not included) so there are no surprises!
Don’t Learn These Lessons the Hard Way!
Choosing a great web design partner isn’t a decision you should rush. Ideally, you can find someone that you trust not only with this project, but with your ongoing web maintenance and future website build projects, too! Now that you’re armed with these five critical steps, you can move forward with confidence instead of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.
At Emily Writes, we’ve seen firsthand how the right (or wrong) web design partnership can make or break a project. That’s why we’ve built relationships with trusted web design agencies and independent designers who consistently deliver results for our clients.
If you need a shortcut to finding the perfect match, I’d be happy to make some recommendations! Shoot me a message over on LinkedIn, and I’d be happy to have a conversation.