When looking for a website design agency, how do you choose from among the tens of thousands in the US alone? You cannot afford to make a wrong choice which might negatively affect your brand and its reputation.
Here is a framework any company can follow to help you choose the right agency partner for all your website needs:
Determine Your Internal Resources
Designing and building a website requires many different resources. The first step is to understand what assets you possess internally. From there, you determine what you need in an agency. The roles you will need for a website redesign are:
- Brand strategy and positioning
- Content Strategy
- Copywriting
- User Experience
- Hosting/DevOps
- Graphic Design
- Front-End Developer
- CMS Implementation
You may not have the internal resources regarding experts or budget to cover all of these roles. Start by identifying which of the above roles you can cover with internal skills sets and what you need to outsource. You should end up with a list that you can use to compare agency talents and expertise.
Look for Specific Web Design Expertise
You need specific expertise in three areas for a website redesign: website strategy, website design, and website development.
Rarely will you find a web design agency specializing in all three, and depending on your budget, it might be cost-prohibitive to hire multiple agencies to cover all roles.
You will need to choose the specific expertise you want from a web design company. You will find agencies with at least two of the three roles, so prioritize which are most important and cover the other internally. Knowing what type of work you need will help you choose the right agency.
Determine Your Scope and Budget
The price range for web redesign services can range from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand dollars, depending on the technical complexities and design challenges you face. If you have a large website redesign, you will need a team to manage the project and a plan to oversee the lengthy process.
Knowing in advance what your budget and project scope will help you narrow your search to agencies that fit your requirements and budget.
Do You Need a Team On-Site?
When you partner with a web design agency, it might make sense to have someone work in your offices, depending on the scope and complexity of your project. On the other hand, if you only need help with implementation, an agency can do it remotely.
Know in advance the type of working relationship you need from a web design company.
Ask Peers, Partners, and Vendors for References
Your contacts are an excellent place to gather suggestions to investigate. Ask your marketing team to reach out to their network, and contact colleagues at similar-sized companies or industry to get advice.
The key question to ask each is: “Which website design agency have you worked with and who would you work with again?” Try to weed out the responses that list friends, cousins, or acquaintances recently met. You want qualified referrals for an experienced agency.
Part of your research should include an online search for agencies. Look for award-winning companies with a large list of satisfied clients.
Interview for web design services like you would an employee
Consider your web design agency as an extension of your team. You want a good fit, someone qualified and experienced. Try to narrow your list down to 2-3 with whom you should meet one or more times before asking to submit bids.
When you design your Request for Proposal, create an evaluation process that lets you compare skill sets that meet your needs. Ask for references and make sure to check each one.
Finding the Right Web Design Agency
The agency you end up working with will more than likely have worked with dozens or hundreds of clients. The reason you want to connect with a highly experienced agency is their depth of knowledge and the lessons they have learned along the way. They can apply their expertise and experience to create the best website possible for your brand without stumbling over the roadblocks other, less experienced companies normally do.
About KEO Marketing
KEO Marketing, Inc., a leading B2B digital marketing agency in Phoenix, Arizona, develops and implements strategies to help clients significantly increase leads and sales.
An award-winning website design and development agency, KEO Marketing has worked with some of the world’s largest brands to deliver tangible and substantial results. Contact us for a complimentary marketing audit.