Designing a website is a massive task that can feel overwhelming if you have never done it before. A simple Google search will reveal a variety of companies claiming to design and construct websites that will drive traffic and produce leads, but how can you say with certainty that they genuinely do?
Whether your firm wants to create a new website from scratch or redesign an existing one, the web designing company you choose will be important to the success of your website. This is why, during your selection process, it is critical to ask the correct questions to your potential agencies.
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Examine your prospects carefully and thoroughly to find a web designing company that you can confidently refer to as a partner. Throughout this process, you’ll need to ask the right questions to ensure that the web company corresponds with your firm’s aims and future ambitions.
To help you with your search, we’ve developed a list of crucial questions to ask web design companies.
1. Have you ever worked on projects with similar objectives to mine?
To produce a website you desire, your developer needs to understand your vision. You must ensure that they comprehend what you’re looking for and that your developer has worked on similar projects or has enough experience to continue with this one. A newbie may take up time as the process will take a lot of research and planning.
2. How do you go about conducting research?
A successful website necessitates extensive research into your company and industry before the development of your website’s concept design. You want customers to visit your website and comprehend your brand’s image, mission, and ambitions. Going above and beyond to work on your site is critical to creating a website that correctly portrays you. Hence, you must find a web designer who believes in extensive research before starting the project.
3. How long does it take to execute one web development project from scratch?
Developers take varied lengths of time to finish their tasks but, you need to be sure their schedule and availability match yours. You want to get the most value for money, so you need to check if staying on the same schedule can help you do just that. When working with deadlines, be sure your developer is able to provide you with the site just on time.
4. What are the services offered?
Different developers provide a variety of plans and services. It is your responsibility to determine which package is best suited to your company. You need to make a list of services you expect from your developer and then go on a hunt to find your developer. If they do not provide you with the features you find necessary, then time to find a new one.
5. What is your SEO strategy?
Your developer should use keyword research and other optimization tactics to increase your company’s lead generation and engagement. The entire purpose of your website is to serve as a hub for visitors to explore, gain interest, and convert.
6. Can I reach out to your references?
Talking to their previous customers will help you to choose the better developer. They will give you the most honest and unbiased perspective about how the developer will work and benefit you.
7. What steps does your organization take to ensure the security of the website?
For most businesses, security and maintenance are key components in the operation and success of a website. To avoid managing the process internally, some people choose to have their website hosted by a web firm. It is critical for your organization to thoroughly grasp the security procedures that will be implemented to avoid attacks. Along with web designing, your web agency should provide plans for website backups and CMS and plugin maintenance to ensure continued performance.
8. Will we be able to track the progress of the website?
During each stage of project development, a professional web designer will send progress reports that can be viewed. They will also urge you to provide feedback or make suggestions by maintaining an open-door policy to promote complete transparency and communication.
9. How many design modifications are you willing to allow?
As a customer, you want to be pleased with the end result, and your web designer should be able to provide it. It’s critical to understand how many modifications you can make throughout the approval process. You should also ask if you will be charged extra for further alterations.
10. Will our current website face downtime while we build our new one?
Inquire whether your present website will be unavailable at any point in time during the process. A seamless transition is critical to your customer’s experience. With the development of your new site being underway, you need to know if your current website will face any problems.
11. Are high-quality assurance testing performed?
For your site to be a success, you need to give your customers a great first impression. Website functionality testing ensures that your users enjoy a trouble-free surfing experience.
12. What type of content management system(s) do you employ?
A content management system (CMS) allows easy management of website content. The most efficient CMS allows you to make changes to your website yourself. Ask your prospective web developer whether they utilize an open-source CMS (such as WordPress or Drupal) or their own customized CMS.
A custom (or proprietary) CMS may not enable access to source code, limiting your ability to contribute content or custom metadata.
Consider asking these additional questions if you’re speaking with a web developer that uses a proprietary CMS:
- Is it compatible with e-commerce?
- Which browsers are supported?
- Is it possible for me to make updates on my own?
- Will I be able to use all of its features?
13. Will I be the sole owner of the website after its launch?
It is necessary to determine if the domain name will be registered on your name or whether the web developer will require website hosting on their servers. Again, bear this in mind if your web design firm uses a proprietary CMS. You’ll also want to know if your company will be required to sign an ongoing contract to keep your site up and running, or if they intend to supply the finished site after the launch date.
14. Will you incorporate social media into the design of my website?
Linking social networking sites to your website is now considered perfectly acceptable in web design. Determine whether the site designer will perform this and how much it will cost. Inquire about social media marketing strategies, such as setup and management, blogger outreach, and monitoring. Some web design firms go a step further and provide social media integration services to assist you in generating more leads and converting them into sales.
15. Do you provide web hosting services?
Web development or designing companies frequently provide web hosting plans as part of their services. Inquire whether their hosting package contains a unique IP address, how much bandwidth you will get, what kind of technical assistance will be provided, and how much uptime is guaranteed. The type of hosting you choose will have a significant impact on your site’s uptime and speed.
16. Do you offer domain registration?
Before any website goes live, it needs a unique name. Inquire whether the company will check to see whether the name you want for your website is available, if they will register it for you, how long the domain name registration is valid for, and how much it will cost to conduct this service.
17. Are e-commerce services offered by you?
A sophisticated web developer provides E-commerce services in order to execute online sales. Inquire particularly about their experience with e-commerce systems and features such as shopping carts, inventory control, and customer engagement when requesting their services.
18. Is A/B testing something you do?
A/B testing occurs when two or more variants of a page are given to users at random to test their performance and discover which variant converts better.
It allows you to compare design layouts and uncover better keyword, headline, and ad copy combinations.
19. Do you incorporate search engine optimization into your websites?
Almost all websites should now be coded with SEO in mind. A new website might introduce a wide range of technological challenges. If you’re having a new website built, it’s a good idea to have a third-party SEO agency perform an SEO audit prior to the launch to ensure there are no severe concerns.
20. Are the websites optimized for mobile and SEO?
Over half the traffic on a website comes from mobile devices. You need to inquire about the experience of their SEO staff and whether or not they are certified. Then, as a surprise, ask the agency even more comprehensive questions about their SEO techniques. How fast do you want your page to load? How much consideration goes into your title tags and descriptions? Is it possible to access your websites from a mobile device?
21. Do you work with custom or pre-made websites?
Based on the extent of your demands and goals, web design businesses may offer both custom and template websites, but you’ll want to understand the difference between the two before making your decision. While a template website is a low-cost choice, it may harm your organization in the long term.
A custom website is developed specifically for your company’s needs and avoids needless back-end programming. It creates a strong online presence for your company that is unique to it.
22. What are the assets we need to provide?
Try to collect your company’s branding assets, such as logo files, brand guidelines, typefaces, and colors. The next step is to decide who will be in charge of gathering images and authoring your website’s content. Your site partner will usually supply you with graphics and content limitations, such as word count limits and file types and sizes, but don’t underestimate the time commitment.
23. How much do you charge for a project of this scale?
Every developer’s fees vary; do your homework to determine the budget you want to set and the amount you’re willing to pay. Don’t go with the cheapest developer you can find. Spending more on a project well done is preferable to cutting corners and paying more later to compensate for inferior work.
24. Do you offer training after the website goes live?
It’s a good idea to ask your developer if there is any training they can provide to your team. Timely updating the knowledge of your teammates is though necessary.
25. Do you provide post-launch analytics?
Your collaboration with your web solutions company should not end with the launch of your website. The agency you choose should provide service offers as well as an in-depth understanding of measuring the success of your website.
26. What will happen to the ongoing CMS maintenance?
Even if you aren’t seeking the most cutting-edge features right now, bear in mind that you still need to make your site secure. The majority of website hacks occur on sites that are not updated. Inquire about what your web developer will do to keep your CMS up to date. Monthly updates ensure that your website is safe and bug-free, as well as that you have the most recent features, improved compatibility, and a seamless browsing experience for your users.
27. Can you show a portfolio of websites developed by your company?
Do a little detective work and examine a web developer’s portfolio. Doing this might give you valuable insight into their design models. After completing this process, you can be sure of the company.
28. What if I don’t like the original design?
The design phase agreements include either an unlimited number of changes or a set number of revisions. Others have several sign-offs on proposed colors, design layout, photos, and type fonts, so you can see how the final design will look. It is critical to go over the process and policy for revisions with the design firm.
29. Will my website be designed to grow with my company?
It is necessary that your website is designed with capacity for expansion, especially if your company plans to offer additional products or services in the future. You can inquire about the design scalability and how much is the scope for increase without having to pay extra.
30. Can you design a logo for my website?
Most website designers can build a logo for your company either as part of the first project quote or for a charge. Inquire about the firm’s experience in this field and examine previous logos it has made, giving special attention to graphic attractiveness, how well the design suits the emphasis of the business, and how well the logo promotes brand identity.
31. Will you be able to provide my established brand, a consistent website look?
If your company has an existing brand, be sure the website development agency that creates your new website has experience preserving brand consistency. Ask them how they approach such projects and what steps they will take to ensure that the site design is consistent with your present marketing goals.
32. Which web standards and practices do you adhere to?
A web design and development company should be up to date on all design trends and web development standards so that your website operates on all operating systems and browsers. Inquire whether the web design firm is up to date on the W3C’s CSS and HTML standards. Inquire if it performs code validation to guarantee site coding complies with W3C standards.
33. What kind of IP address will be assigned to my website?
If the web design firm is arranging this for you, inquire whether you will be assigned a unique IP address rather than a static IP address. A unique IP address ranks higher in search engines and is not considered spam by major e-mail providers.
34. Will you test the functionality of my website before it goes live?
Web design firms frequently test new web design functionality before releasing it to the public. You should select whether this testing phase involves the functionality of forms, links, scripts, and other website features and checking for syntax mistakes, cross-browser compatibility, successfully uploaded files.
35. Will I own the rights to the site’s artwork?
Some designers copyright their unique artwork. You must be aware of the firm’s policy and negotiate conditions in advance to ensure that you own all original artwork and information on your website. Be sure of the fact that you will be given the original graphic files.
36. What methods will you employ to create cash for my website?
The company you hire to create your website should be just as interested in producing cash as you are. As a result, they should provide a list of tried-and-true tactics that experts usually employ in site design.
37. Will you be analyzing my current website’s performance before making design decisions?
If your present website design is performing well, you probably don’t need to redesign it. Find a developer who honestly intends to review your current website performance and then makes changes to your site.
38. What is your policy on developing websites for my competitors?
I wouldn’t completely dismiss someone if they built a website in the same industry last year, but having an ongoing relationship with that client could negatively impact the website.
39. How do you analyze my business, market and competitors?
The planning of your website is critical to its success. This necessitates researching your sector and conducting a preliminary market analysis before developing the overall functionality, content layout, aspects, delivery, and other website elements.
40. Who will be responsible for the development of my website?
Depending on the scale of the work you want to be done, some web designers may dedicate one person or a team of persons to your project. Understanding how your project will be managed requires knowing who will be working on which components of your project.
41. What are the credentials of the people working on my project?
When working with a web designer, you need to know whether or not they are the perfect fit for your website’s needs. Don’t hesitate in requesting samples of previous websites they’ve created, talk about their experience in web design and development technologies, and ask for client references.
42. How many pages will my website have?
Once the material has been agreed upon, you will work out the details with the website design business. Search engines prefer websites with multiple pages of high-quality material, and most websites contain standard sections such as homepage, about, services, blog and contact us. You and your firm will then determine other pages based on your business like a resource center, a blog, case studies or testimonials, a photo gallery, products or services, etc.
43. Will any of the work be outsourced?
Some web designing companies outsource some part of the work to other companies as it allows them to provide a broader range of services at a lower cost. If they outsource, ask for the contractor’s credentials, and how your project collaboration will be handled by them.
44. What services do you provide at this price?
When you get a price quote, you should next ask for a list of what you are paying for. Request an itemized list of deliverables that are included in the pricing.
45. How do you charge for work that goes beyond the scope of the project’s initial quote or agreed-upon deliverables?
With the progress in your work, you will need additional services which may or may not be decided upon in the initial contract.
Find out how billing works if you decide to add additional features or elements to your website after it has begun to be built.
46. Will I be able to view my website statistics without having to contact you?
Web design companies use a variety of analytics to track the performance of their websites. They should be willing to give you access to this interface. Inquire about acquiring a password so that you may access your website statistics online at any time.
47. Can you work within our financial constraints?
It may be tricky to have a large budget if you are a new firm. Even for pre-existing businesses, there are limits to how much money they are willing to spend on a specific activity. It is totally acceptable for you to provide an estimate to the web designer in advance rather than discovering it afterward.
48. What is the extent of your abilities?
Websites are the greatest asset a company possesses. You will need the services of marketing strategists, content strategists, copywriters, photographers, videographers, etc. Therefore, it is critical to pick a firm that offers the majority, if not all, of these competencies and can deliver them on an as-needed basis.
49. Can I contribute written content to the website?
You can yourself create material for your website. Giving your written content to an editor for evaluation and asking coworkers to criticize it is a great approach. The text on your website is so vital that you should engage a professional to do it correctly the first time.
50. Is my website ADA-compliant?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted to make all public locations, including websites, accessible to people with disabilities. Enquire with your web designer about their accessibility testing procedure. It is critical to optimize your website in order to provide a positive user experience to all visitors.
One last question…
Do you now have a deeper understanding of the questions you should ask your potential web designer before starting a new project with him?
To Conclude:
Your company’s website is an intangible asset that aids in the achievement of all tangible results in the form of monetary gains.
The aims and vision of your company should be reflected on your website. It is critical to pick a web designer who knows your vision, has sufficient experience, and can answer all of the above-mentioned concerns.
