About 71% of small businesses have a website, though not all are successful at generating leads and sales. In fact, one in five businesses says their main issue is low traffic. Meanwhile, 38% of consumers will leave a poorly designed website.
Without a wow-worthy, eye-catching website, your digital marketing strategy will flop.
Here are a few tips you can use to choose a web design service this year. With these tips, you can find an experienced team that can help. Their web design experience could help you accomplish your marketing goals in the new year.
Start your search for a business website design company with these tips today.
Outline Your Goals
Before you begin interviewing website design agencies, take a moment to outline your SMART goals. Outlining specific goals can help you find an agency capable of accomplishing those goals. You can prioritize interviewing agencies that have relevant web design experience and services to save time.
For example, you might prioritize:
- Generating online sales
- Gaining form submissions/leads
- Improving the user experience
- Increasing search engine rankings
- Gaining brand awareness and recognition
- Building brand trust and loyalty
- Retaining customers
- Establishing yourself as a thought leader
- Keeping visitors on pages longer
- Generating more traffic
Each goal can help you determine which services you need.
Prioritize Experience
It’s not enough to find a web design company that claims they can accomplish your goals. Instead, take the time to look for a team with years of web design experience. Their experience can help you determine if they’re capable of accomplishing your goals.
First, determine how long each company has run and operated. Consider how many websites they’ve worked on in that time, too.
Next, determine if the agency has worked on websites for businesses within your industry or niche. Their industry-relevant experience could indicate they have a better understanding of your customers. These teams could have an easier time appealing to your distinct target audience.
Don’t forget to consider your goals. For example, maybe you want to add eCommerce capabilities to your website. Determine how many eCommerce websites they’ve worked on in the past year.
Maybe you need someone with raffle web design abilities instead.
Take the time to review those websites to determine if they meet your needs and expectations.
An experienced team is more likely to function as a well-oiled machine. A new agency, on the other hand, might still have operational kinks to work out. For example, you might experience issues communicating with the agency.
An experienced team will already have a process in place to ensure the utmost efficiency.
Consider UX Expertise
Determine if the agency has a specific area of expertise. For example, you might want to prioritize user experience (UX) design. UX design ensures your website is easy to use and navigate.
Examples of UX design include:
- Shorter sentences/paragraphs
- Negative space
- Organized pages
- Headings and subheadings
- Fast-loading pages
- Mobile-optimization
- Security
- Easy-to-complete forms
Ask the agency if they understand Google’s Core Web Vitals. Following these user-centric design trends can improve the UX. Your search engine rankings could improve, helping you reach your ideal customers online.
A better UX could help you generate more leads and sales, too!
Check Their Services
Once you outline your goals, determine what business website design services each company offers. Make sure their services align with your distinct needs.
For example, you might need a team that can also write website copy. Strong copy can help you generate more leads.
Maybe you need a company that can optimize your website using search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. Make sure they use white hat SEO tactics. A strong SEO strategy can help you generate more website traffic and brand awareness.
Determine if the company can host and manage your website as well.
Read Client Reviews
You can learn more about each website design company on your list by reading online reviews. Look for reviews on the agency’s website. Otherwise, check their Better Business Bureau and Google Business listings.
If you want to find an agency that offers SEO services, and they don’t have a Google Business listing, keep searching. The lack of a Google Business profile means they don’t understand local SEO.
Read a handful of reviews from each resource to determine if the agency has a strong online reputation.
Explore Their Portfolio
Determine if the agency can meet your needs and expectations by reviewing their recent projects. Explore some of the websites they’ve worked on in the past. Are you impressed by their business website design abilities?
If their work fails to meet your standards, keep searching.
Look for an agency that has worked on a range of different website projects, too. If every website looks the same, continue your search. Don’t use an agency that uses a one-size-fits-all approach.
Ask About Maintenance
Ask each website agency about ongoing maintenance services.
You’ll need to update your website regularly to ensure there aren’t any problems. For example, you’ll need to update the theme, plugins, and design. Otherwise, your website could break or appear behind the times.
Review the Contract
Ask more than one design agency for a quote. Determine what’s included in the estimate. Make sure they fit your web design budget, too.
Ask for a copy of each company’s contract to make sure there aren’t any hidden fees.
Wow-Worthy Designs: Choose a Web Design Service Today
Don’t rush to choose a web design service. Instead, take your time to vet your options. Choose a team that’s able to meet your needs and goals.
With their help, your new business website can set your entire marketing strategy up for success.
Searching for more tips and tricks? You’ve come to the right blog.
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