6 Questions Businesses Should Ask When Selecting a Web Design Firm

The Times Square Alliance estimates that Times Square draws an astonishing 44 million tourists annually. That means on average 120,000 people every day are exposed to the flashing billboards and banners of the brands that take up the most coveted real estate in America. If you add in television and events, the amount of impression is even higher.

The cost to advertise in Times Square is extremely expensive, so how do you determine who actually becomes a customer after all of those impressions?  Does Times Square fulfill its marketing objectives? After all, the companies vying for space may have vastly different marketing goals and objectives.

The same questions can be applied when selecting a web design firm. The big difference is that your site will probably be competing online, not just on looks, and also for extremely competitive keywords.

1.  Is this web design company focused on design or business goals?

This is perhaps the most important element in selecting a company. Is the company focused on design or are they focused on a finished product that will deliver on your business objectives. It’s essential to find a company that has experience working with clients to establish a plan with measurable goals and objectives. After all, the best looking web design project may not perform to your expectations if there is no plan to support it.

2. What technology or tools are they offering?

There are hundreds of options when deciding on a technology platform to deploy your next project, so how do you decide which one is best for you? It’s important to take a look at your near-term and long-term goals for the website, including the functionality that will be present on the site.  Marketing agencies will often push proprietary content management systems (CMS) that are expensive and require monthly subscription costs. Alliance Interactive favors an open source software that includes a free license to build and expand on.

Two popular open source solutions web design companies favor are Drupal and WordPress (see our Drupal vs WordPress article here).  Each has its strengths and weaknesses and can deliver you the custom web design solution you’re after.

3. How does this agency measure results?

Web design companies will say they increase your leads, but at the end of the day, you’ll need analytical tools to properly measure just how effective your website is.  By investing the time and effort to determine the ROI of a website design project, you’ll be able to see what’s working and, more importantly, what needs more attention on the website. If this is a website redesign project, then the marketing agency you’re working with will be able to utilize their analytical tools to see exactly which areas can be improved.

4. What is my web design budget?

Consider how much you intend to spend on your website. What should a website cost? There is no standard for web design projects, but projects can range from $10k all the way up to $100k and beyond. It’s important to remember that if you plan on brining a sizable amount of business through your website that developing a new website will take a little bit of due diligence and multiple quotes to find the right firm.

5. Do I like their portfolio?

Examining web design companies’ portfolios of past projects is probably the most effective way of determining which company is the right fit for you. Most web design companies also offer descriptions or case studies on their website (be wary of companies that don’t do this) as it gives you even more details on the results and experience they have had with particular projects.  Another important question to ask is, do all the websites look the same? Do they look cookie-cutter?

The ultimate goal of a new website isn’t just a great design but also the ability of the web design company to make you stand out in your particular vertical. That means doing the research that will help you stand out in a competitive environment.

6. Are they conversion optimization experts?

If you haven’t heard of the term “Conversion Optimization”, don’t worry, not many people have. Conversion optimization refers to optimizing your website such that when a visitor comes to your website, they will not only visit, but also perform some type of action (such as leaving contact information, buying through ecommerce, or calling you). A great web design company will have a conversion expert on staff to help design call-to-actions (graphics and text) to push visitors to perform the desired action.