“A man’s fault is his portal of discovery.”
What is the quote above trying to convey? To have a portal you have to make mistakes. It is not funny? Absolutely not. It may be an expression of motivation, but in business it can be the end of the world for small startups with little investment. This article is specially created for small start-ups who want to be successful in their respective fields and are planning to launch their web design or are looking for a facelift or adding new functionality to their existing site or are unsure of their design requirements.
Choosing a web design company
With so many web designers and developers, from freelancers to agencies to online templates, how do you know which option is right for your business and, more importantly, for your goals and objectives? Choosing a web design company is not a serious job. But choosing a good web design company is a real challenge. People say that the Internet has made business processes simple and global, but what about the unique complexities that the Internet offers? Just Google the term “good web design company” and you will get millions of results. For normal humans, it is impossible to search all the results.We will go through the entire process of selecting a Web Design and Development company in a structured manner.
STEP 1 – Planning
The first step is to determine your needs. When looking for the right web designer, it is important to have a clear idea of the role your new or redesigned website will play. Will you provide information to your customers? Will you meet the needs of your employees? Or will it include an online shopping section so you can sell your products to visitors? Most web designers need to know the following:
o Your new website role.
o The target market or audience of your website.
o Your budget.
Take the time to consider what you expect from your website and the type of information you want to communicate to your potential customers before approaching your designer. This will save you and the designer a lot of time and effort.
STEP 2: Find and Create Master List
Searching is a passionate process and requires no special skills other than perseverance to get good results that meet your needs. Just scan directories, check Google listings for specific keyword searches, and ask your friends or business partners for referrals. It doesn’t have to be a very extensive investigative work.
Recommendations: Ask your acquaintances, friends and family which web design companies design websites for their respective organizations, or if they can recommend a web design company.
Website: Designate the web design company responsible for the website of the organization you admire. These organizations can be your competitors or in related or unrelated industries. Sometimes web design companies are included in site credits or appear elsewhere on the website. If you can’t find credit on the site, feel free to contact the organization and ask which web design company is responsible for the website . It can also be a great source of referrals for that web design company.
STEP 3 – Evaluate and shortlist
Once you’ve put together a list of potential web design companies, you’re ready to narrow it down to a short list. This requires a bit of research work.
Portfolio- These are the three C’s: credibility, consistency, and capacity. How consistent are they? What are the parameters within which the company is capable enough to meet your requirements? Are there testimonials that speak of your credibility? Are the projects in the portfolio of consistent quality? Do they consistently deliver good results over a period of time? Do web design companies provide solutions to other companies in your sector? Do they face challenges similar to those your organization faces? These are some important factors to consider.Once you’ve narrowed your search to a few design sources (via recommendations, web directories, or your competitors’ sites), evaluate their online portfolio and their fee structure. A website doesn’t have to be flashy or lively to do its job. Explore the sites they have created, check the ease of navigation, information management, general cleanliness and convenience for visitors. Also, consider hiring a company that demonstrates familiarity with your type of business. Just review the success stories/case studies that have been made available on their website and double-check the credentials via references, if possible.
o Experience and Cost – This is called EF from a web design company. Experience and cost are closely related to each other. The general rule is that the more experience you have, the more you will be paid. This interesting story can tell you what the experience is all about.
Once upon a time there was a steam power plant that didn’t produce much steam. After desperately searching for the cause, a desperate factory manager called in an expert. After only two hours on site, experts discovered the problem and placed an “X” on the two pipes that were causing the problem, saying they needed to be removed. When presented with the invoice, the plant manager asked the consultant how he could charge $5,000.00 for just two hours of work. When you ask for a detailed invoice, this is what you get:
1. $400.00 – Placement of “X” in two tubes.
2. $4,600.00 – Know where to put the “Xs”.
The factory manager gets what he pays for and maybe more. He had already spent more than that amount on his own staff, not to mention the loss of income when the factory closed. For him, getting consulting services from a consultant is the right thing to do.
It is very important that the company has good experience in various business domains and has professionals and specialists from various backgrounds. This way, they will understand the various business verticals that can be an advantage for your website. Another important factor is budget. What You Pay Is What You Get: WYPIWYG. Never compromise on the quality of your website just to save money fast. In the long run, you will end up losing. Have you ever wondered why American diamonds cost less than real diamonds when it is sometimes difficult to tell the two apart? It’s obvious: the brilliance and hardness of a diamond.This makes another interesting point, you can get a facelift for your website at a lower cost, but it will lack functionality and effectiveness. You can attract visitors but not turn them into businesses.
o Technology – What are your technological competencies? Does this suit your needs? How many projects have you worked on using it? How often is your technology updated, both in terms of software and hardware?
o Deadline – Has the company completed the project within the allotted time? Time is one of the most important factors, because the longer it takes, the higher the input costs. Some companies may offer you a shorter time frame and may be ready with the design. But after that begins the long and scorching journey of finding and correcting the mistakes that could have left your visitors disappointed.
o Responsiveness: how quickly does the company respond to your questions? Did you listen to your question? Do you respond to my suggestions and questions? Do they explain the problem in a way you can understand? Do they share an overview of your site? Are they interested in the return on investment for the website? Do they have the skills necessary to achieve their goals?
o Process communication: poor communication is one of the main obstacles to business processes. Make sure the company you work for is comfortable with your language. Generally, English (US/UK) is taken as the language of choice to communicate with each other. What tools and technologies do they use to communicate? How will you stay informed about your project news? These are some of the important factors to consider when deciding on the communication process when choosing a web design partner.
o Services – What other services can the company offer besides design? What types of value-added products or services can a design firm offer?
All of these points will help you narrow down the list of companies that can offer viable solutions and help with your goals. The next step is to invite proposals from the selected parties. Just look at all the cross-references that you think are justifiable or that satisfy your curiosity. The more time you invest in this phase, the sweeter the results will be.
STEP 4- Proposal
Once you’ve selected a short list of top web development companies, ask them to send you a proposal. Request that your proposal include an overview of your requirements and the proposed solution. This will help determine which web design company best understands your needs. Also request that each web design company include a description of their development process and pricing details for various aspects of the website project.
STEP 5: Evaluate the proposal
Evaluate each proposal individually based on merit. Consider the following points:
a) Welfare of the proposal.
b) Each company’s strengths and weaknesses.
c) Evaluate presentation style and format.
STEP 6 – Company selection
After your organization has reviewed all the proposals, compare them to each other. How do they perform in terms of presentation? How did your process emerge in terms of project management? Do they provide scalability and/or improvement paths for your project that go beyond the immediate needs of the goals outlined?
After going through all the processes above, you should be able to focus on one particular company. If doubt persists, establish a communication process between companies as possible to understand the process and their commitments.
[ NOTE : Avoid selecting an individual designer, independently, to design and develop your organization’s website. It’s rare to find a single person capable of handling the combined visual and technical elements that make up an effective web presence. Also, by relying on individuals, your organization risks losing their investment if something happens to the individual, or in the future they cannot find the time to help when they need it].
I just love the web. In my opinion, this is the busiest place in the world and the best place to interact and learn. My strong interest in user analysis of sites, as well as a search engine perspective, led me to pursue a career in Internet Marketing. I started as an SEO but now I work as an internet marketer.