While social media might have become an incredibly important tool, nobody is going to take your business seriously without a website. Designing that website is a key task as it needs to find a perfect balance between form and function. It’s a job that requires a very specific set of skills that tread the boards between coding and design, brains and beauty. That’s why web design agencies exist – to give your brand a definitive online home.
Choosing the right web design agency for your business, however, can be tricky. The internet is bursting with web designers from across the world that range from start-up one-man-bands to established award-winning agencies. A simple Google search throws up a whopping 1.8 million results for “web designer” alone!
Do you go with the established and reliable agencies, or take the risk on a new designer with fresher ideas and a lower cost? How do you know which partner will get the results you’re looking for? Let’s start with the basics.
What does a web design agency do?
Although referred to as ‘designers’, web design is not all about mood boards and colour samples. Of course, aesthetics and building a website that looks great plays a principal role in web design, but that’s only one part of a multifaceted, specialist service that aims to support your whole business online.
Web designers have the technical know-how and skills to build websites that are user-friendly, mobile responsive, secure and optimised for search engines. Good web designers also strategically design sites to guide people through the buying process, and they ensure sites connect seamlessly with other online marketing channels such as social media and e-mail.
Choosing the right web design agency
There are several factors to consider when casting your net out for a web design agency.
Designer or developer
Given the all-encompassing nature of designing a website, some firms split the task across two roles – a web designer to do the visual, graphic design, and a web developer to do the technical coding and building of the website. Having said that, most web designers have web development skills, and in some agencies, the whole process of design and development may be managed by one incredibly talented person.
Before deciding which one to opt for, you need to decide how important your website is to you, are you simply looking for an online presence because it’s the done thing or could it be a truly significant source of revenue for you? If you don’t see your website as a valuable asset then a web developer providing a simple design might be enough.
Budget
Many of the best web design agencies work on a time basis. They will look at your requirements and decide how much time is needed from themselves or their team to complete the job and then multiply that figure by a daily or hourly rate. So, if one designer quotes much less than the others you’ve approached ask them all what daily or hourly rate they are charging.
If their rate is similar but the overall cost is less you can be sure that they will spend less time understanding your business, researching what is required to make the website a success and finishing the website to a high standard. As a reference point the industry average is probably around £300 per day (or £50 per hour).
Portfolio
Any web designer worth their salt should have a good number of websites in their portfolio. If you can’t find something from your own or a related industry then look for websites with similar functionality, for example an online booking or payment system. You can also search for designs that you particularly like the look of but don’t forget that the best designers produce whatever is required to appeal to the target audience – so just because the sites in the portfolio aren’t your style don’t be put off.
Try to think objectively, look at the websites and consider whether you would enjoy using them if you were in their target audience. Would you be impressed enough by the company being promoted to get in touch? Is it easy enough to get in touch with them?
Testimonials
Look for reviews and testimonials from previous clients as most established designers will have these. And it’s better to consult independent sites like Google My Business and other review sites because simple quotations on a web page can easily be faked.
Also, research the clients’ names to check they are legitimate businesses and take a look at their website while you’re there. You can always check out the web designer’s social media profiles as well for star ratings, comments, etc. As a completely open forum, social media can give you an insight into how a business is perceived.
Getting to know them
Try to get to know the business before taking that leap. You want to know that their goals are compatible with yours and that they seem like people you could comfortably work with. If you get a good vibe from them after an initial email of phone call, follow it up with a video call or meet in person over coffee.
Above all else though, don’t just go with the first option. Get a range of quotes and have several conversations with different agencies to get a feel for what is offered and who is out there. It’s important to look for a web designer that has a strong understanding of the overall process, and one that can support your business online – not simply build a website. That’s something that you might not find right away so don’t be afraid to play the long game. Because changing an existing website is a lot harder than building a fresh one from scratch.
Using Creativepool
Looking for a new website? Creativepool has hundreds of web design agencies ready and waiting to help bring your ideas and your brand to life.
Finding a web design agency that fits your needs on Creativepool is simple and effective.
You have 2 main options. Search and contact or post a studiobrief.
1. Search and Contact
The Creative Services Directory is the place for you to be able to search and select the company that best serves your needs.
After using the search bar you will be able to view the profiles, case studies and information about each company listed.
When you find a company then you can contact them directly. This is the most effective way for you to be in control of who you work with
2. Post a studiobrief
The second way that you have to be able to find a company that meets your creative needs is to advertise your brief.
Doing so is completely free and to help you along you will be assigned an account manager. Once you have posted your initial brief they will be in contact with you about what you are looking for and help you amend your brief (if needed) and send it out to the most relevant companies on the platform.
Once posted you will receive applications from companies directly and you can then discuss your needs with the company in more detail.
Posting a studiobrief is by far the easiest approach, free and you are under no obligation to hire any of the companies that apply. It's a flexible and powerful approach to finding a new agency partner that does most of the hard work for you.
