Hiring the right web design agency can be a bit tricky. In order to find the right web design agency for you and your brand, there are a few things you need to look for.

1. Know which website platform your website will be built on

It’s important to know what platform your website will be built on. The platform is the foundation of your website. Some versatile platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal allow you to keep growing your website as your company grows without much custom coding. This represents less expense in the long run and more control of your website.

Other advantages of building on these platforms include:

A Content Management System (CMS) – a user portal. This results in little or no dependency on your web designer for website changes and content updates. When you engage in social media, you can drive traffic from your social media outlets to your website. The more users, the better chance of conversations – meaning website visitors can become customers.

Perform well in search engines. The faster search engine spiders can crawl through your website, the higher the chance that your website will appear on search results. Minimize out-of-house costs by adding plug-ins as opposed to custom coding

 

2. Do you like your web designer’s design style?

Does your web designer have the capability of creating the style you want? Analyze your web designer’s own site design for appearance and functionality. If you don’t like theirs, chances are you will not be happy with the website they’ll build for you.

Be sure to get website links to other sites they have built. If you like a modern, clean, user-friendly look and feel and your web designer’s website is cluttered, confusing, or uses outdated fluorescent colors, chances are your design styles are pretty far apart.

 

3. References, references, and more references

You have heard it a million times, but we still keep hearing horror stories. Make sure the website company you engage can provide you with references – lots of them. A minimum of three references is standard, and ask for samples of recent projects. Research the company online, and get to know your web designer’s location, their team members, and take note of how quickly they return your calls. Ideally, your web designers will become your long-term partners, so choose wisely from the start.

By: Liz Rodriguez