We all know that first impressions are powerful. When your website is a person’s first point of contact with your business, the design can have a critical impact on their decision to engage with your company. According to recent studies, nearly half of people on the internet say that a website’s design is their number one criterion for determining the company’s credibility.
Choosing a website design company is not a decision that should be taken lightly. You are not just hiring them to complete a project, you are trusting them with the future of your business.
Four Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Web Design Company
- What is your company’s approach to usability and the user experience?
Research shows that 40% of internet users will abandon a web page if it takes more than three seconds to load, indicating that the visitor’s ability to use and navigate a website easily is essential. Asking this question will help you differentiate between experienced web design companies and novices. Inquiring about usability will also allow you to better understand the company’s focus — namely, whether or not they put the user first. The best web design companies will be glad you asked this question; they will be open about their opinions, experience, and research regarding user-centered design.
- What is your company’s approach to usability and the user experience?
- What web design services does your company provide?
How much of the project can the web design company handle? Planning, design, development, marketing — is their team qualified to produce top quality results for each of these steps? A well-rounded company should be able to provide the following:- Comprehensive web design, development, and marketing strategies that meet industry standards
- Compelling content to enhance the quality of the website and related social media
- Search engine optimization expertise
- Advanced coding capabilities that meet your custom web development needs
- What web design services does your company provide?
- How does your company measure results?
A website is a strong marketing tool. It should generate business, boost visibility and brand recognition, and increase brand loyalty. A website design company must be able to put into words how they intend to increase the market value of your business.
As many as 93% of online experiences start with a search engine, and over 100 billion searches are conducted worldwide each month. If your website cannot be found through a simple Google search, you are doing something wrong. If the web design company in question provides search engine optimization services, find out how they measure their SEO success.
- How does your company measure results?
- What are your credentials or qualifications?
Make sure you are dealing with a company that is reliable, respected, and well established in the industry. The company should be able to show you examples of their previous successes. Find out what types of clients they have worked with and what kinds of results they achieved.
In addition to asking these important questions, do some research on your own.
If you have any additional advice or great questions to ask, feel free to comment below. Better yet, give us a call.
