The right web design company has a history of success, can meet your deadlines, and deliver quality design within your budget.
There are over 178,000 web designers and firms in the United States alone[1]. That’s more than the population of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands—combined. With so many designers on the market, how do you choose the best one for your business? Here are eight tips to help narrow your options.
Narrow your search for a web design company with our list of companies in the following areas:
1. Set a budget for yourself
While setting a budget, it’s important to keep in mind that you don’t want to short-change your web development project. It’s best—as you would with any other budget challenge—to decide how much your business can afford and then use that as your starting point.
For example, if your overall marketing budget for the third quarter is $10,000 and you want to spend 25% of that on your website, your starting point is $2,500. While you could find a web developer or firm that will charge you less than your budget, it’s best to keep your spending somewhere close to what you can afford. That way, you get the most bang for your buck while also locking in the highest quality services possible.
2. Get their pricing
It’s best to ask for pricing information right off the bat. Some developers and companies may simply charge too much. That's OK, because you have, well, around 177,999 more to choose from.
On the other hand, some web developers or firms may charge extremely inexpensive rates. This could be an indication that they only do minor alterations to existing website templates. Even though this could be sufficient for your needs, if you want a custom-designed product, you may need to look elsewhere.
As you investigate your designer’s pricing, it’s best to ask several questions so you understand everything you get for your dollar.
Ask what they charge for:
Changes to the original design partway through the design process
Unexpected additions of widgets and other design features
Troubleshooting issues with the site if, post-launch, it doesn’t work as it should
If the price of the web designer or company’s services aligns with your budget, you can move them into the next assessment phase.
3. Look for case studies
Case studies can serve as a powerful guide as you try to figure out the kind of site you want. There are a few different ways of leveraging case studies to trim down your web designer choices:
Visit a web designer or firm’s website and examine any case studies, portfolios, and examples they have posted. If you’re happy with what they’ve done for others, they may be a good choice for you, too.
Search the internet for case studies that match your business model or industry. For example, if you have a restaurant chain, you may want to search for “restaurant website case studies” or "restaurant website examples."
While interviewing a web designer, you can ask them to provide case studies of past clients or others in your industry.
Widen your case study search by your marketing goals. For example, if you want to establish a profitable eCommerce business, look for case studies/examples of companies that have developed successful eCommerce sites.
Once you’ve found a few case studies that apply to your sector or marketing objectives, you can present these to the web designer or firm and ask what it would take to emulate those results.
In this way, your benchmarks are more tangible and easier for your designer to understand the end results you expect.
4. Examine their client retention rate
A web designer or company’s client retention rate may be one of the best indicators of service quality. If clients that have done business with them for multiple years, that shows an impressive degree of customer loyalty.
A lot can happen over the course of a few years, so if a web designer or firm is able to keep the same customers for extended periods of time, that probably means they’ve helped them overcome some significant challenges. The ability to adapt to changing circumstances is invaluable.
On the other hand, if a web design company or designer has been around for quite a while but hasn't been able to retain clients for more than a year or so, that could indicate a lack of customer confidence.
Another way of analyzing a designer’s client retention rate is to simply ask them what makes clients stay or choose other services. It never hurts to ask a hard, honest question, especially because it may inspire a revealing answer.
5. Find out who would be personally responsible for your site
By finding out who, exactly, will handle your site/account, you can connect with that person and get your business relationship off to a good start. The sooner you start interacting with your point of contact, the sooner you’ll know if you have the kind of comfortable rapport with them you need.
Look for the following qualities in the person responsible for your site:
The ability to listen patiently without interrupting as you explain what you need/your business goals.
A passion for what they do.
Creative thinking, especially when it comes to problem-solving.
Timely and professional communication.
At times, you may come across a talented web designer or firm that isn’t so gifted when it comes to communication. They may not return emails in a timely fashion, or they provide a phone number but rarely answer.
Even though this could be an indication that the firm or designer is so skilled that they’re in high demand, it’s better to have a great communicator than a busy superstar.
6. Understand what their customer support system looks like
You need to be confident that your web designer’s customer support system suits your needs, especially because that will be your connection portal whenever something goes wrong. It’s a good idea to make sure that the way they provide support matches your style, because if there’s a malfunction the last thing you need is a frustrating customer support experience.
Some designers or firms may have a customer support system built around submitting issues via email into a ticket-based system. Your problems can be handled by any one of several support reps, and you don’t know exactly when your issue may get addressed. Even though this may work for some people, an unpredictable ticket-based system may not jive with everyone’s needs.
On the other hand, you may be able to get personalized customer support, perhaps even from the point of contact responsible for designing your site. If this is the kind of support mechanism that makes you feel the most comfortable, it’s worth holding out for a web design company or individual that uses this type of personalized support.
7. Ask if they will relocate your site
The issue of site relocation is important, whether you already have a site or this is your first one. If your website has to move from one web hosting company to another, you want a web designer that can take care of that for you.
At the same time, because you may have to switch hosting providers in the future, it’s nice to know whether or not the web designer or firm you're considering will handle that on your behalf.
If you’re comfortable with the process of switching web hosting companies yourself, this criteria may not be a dealbreaker.
8. Set concrete criteria with deadlines
Concrete, clear deadlines come with several benefits:
They make it easier for you to plan important business decisions around when your site will be ready.
When a web designer meets a deadline, it shows their professionalism and dedication to providing good service.
Deadlines often play an important role in when you pay a web designer. For example, once the site is live with all of your branding and a baseline of content, you may pay your web designer or firm a certain percentage of their overall fee. Then, you pay the rest once they’ve added everything that remains in your contract.
But without concrete criteria and deadlines, the payment process could be riddled with uncertainty.
Choose the web design company that’s right for you
If any designer or design firm survives the above steps, it may be time to move forward. Before you commit, however, take a moment to think about anything else you may want to establish with or ask the web designer about prior to doing official business with them.
For example, for some companies, it’s important to have a lot of creative input throughout the design lifecycle. If that’s your style, you want to ensure this is OK with the web designer or firm and that they can weave your ideas into the creative process.
Using these tips, you can quickly reduce 178,000 designers to one. Getting the right web designer for your project is a huge win. Be sure to ask lots of questions, so you can jump in with confidence when you’re ready to get started.