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Originally Posted On: 5 Things When Choosing A Website Design Agency | Let’s B Media

One of the most important parts of a business is the website. Here are 5 things to look for when you choose a website design agency!

Wondering how to find the right website design agency? If you don’t have experience in web design yourself, the process may feel daunting. How do you differentiate between an excellent and a mediocre agency?

It’s easier than it sounds. All you need to do is follow five simple steps. If you’re ready to discover the perfect web designers so your conversion rates can finally soar, read on.

1. Does the Agency Keep up With Trends?

Why are trends important in web design? Well, most trends occur for one of two reasons.

Technical reasons often cause trends. Integrating new hardware requires changes. Sometimes these changes occur in the hardware itself, while others happen in the supporting software.

A great example happened when mobile devices outpaced desktops in search engine use. It happened back in 2016. More people began using their mobile devices (cell phones and tablets) for most of their Google searches.

It was a wake-up call for customers and designers alike. Websites built for desktop devices weren’t compatible with their mobile counterparts. These sites were squint-worthy or completely unreadable on smartphones.

Developers have since adjusted the code behind the sites; they’ve built flexible templates that adjust a webpage’s layout to match the device on which it’s viewed. Nowadays, these webpages look just as great on smartphones and laptops, alike.

The other reason for a web trend is an evolution in marketing. Companies throw hundreds of millions of dollars each year to discover new methods to boost their conversion rate. In other words, they want to sell more stuff to more people.

That research covers things like which colors make customers more willing to pull out their wallets. Another example is where to place your call-to-action (aka big red button) to get the most visitors clicking it.

Trends change from quarter to quarter. The key is to find a design agency that has its finger on the pulse of the industry.

2. Double Check Its Marketing Plan

Stop for a moment. Ask yourself, what do I want out of this new business website?

Can you accomplish those goals yourself? If so, grab some free easy to use website design software, and get started. Chances are, you can’t accomplish those goals by yourself.

It’s even likely that you aren’t certain about your goals. You know you want a clean website that attracts new visitors. Do you also want to convert those visitors into paying customers? If so, you need a marketing strategy for your site.

These strategies may include outbound marketing. In essence, outbound marketing is all about interrupting potential customers, then enticing them to visit your site. Usually, this is done through paid advertising, such as social media advertising.

Inbound marketing, on the other hand, focuses on developing great material. That includes everything from holding a free concert to setting up a booth at an exposition. The goal is to get potential customers to seek you out rather than the other way around.

Blogs are one of the foremost methods of inbound marketing. Blogs increase business website traffic by building trust and linking your brand with knowledgeable, well-written articles. The more that visitors trust your brand, the more likely they are to buy your stuff.

When you hunt for a design agency, make sure they have a variety of marketing options to choose from.

3. Look for Specialists

Web design is more complicated than most business owners realize. Long gone are days of a single programmer creating the ultimate business website all by his lonesome. Internet technology is way too complicated for that.

If you want to compete in modern online business, it means hiring a team of experts. They include:

• Site designer
• Graphic artist
• Copywriter/Wordsmith
• Digital Marketer

And those are just the bare bones. Yes, it’s possible for a single person to fill more than one role, but don’t accept a service run by a solo entrepreneur. That person won’t know enough to create a high-conversion website.

4. Ask for a Portfolio of Live Websites

One of the first questions a design agency will ask you is, “What are you looking for?” They want to know the goals of your site.

Are you looking to increase your email list? Do you want more visitors to purchase your products? Perhaps your site is meant to build interest in your brick-and-mortar store.

Your agency will also want to know what websites you like and why. What types of photos would you like? Do you want a particular color palette because you understand how color may impact your sales?

What about the general design of the page? Would you like a sliding hero image or perhaps you were hoping for a short video instead? The best way to figure out your likes and dislikes is to look at example websites.

That’s why you want to ask for a portfolio of live websites. It’ll prove to you that the agency has designs you like. It’ll also give you a starting point for your conversation.

5. Avoid the Bargain Website Design Agency

Remember all those specialists we mentioned above? Well, they cost money. Remember, we’re talking about at least 4 specialist fields, all playing a crucial role in your profitable business website.

• digital marketing
• graphic art
• computer science
• behavioral psychology

Does that mean your site will cost tens of thousands of dollars? Hardly, unless of course, you’re throwing together a new Amazon. But it will cost more than it might if you were hiring a solo designer from Fiver.

A solo designer might be a master in 1 or 2 of those fields, but not all 4. And you need all 4 to compete in the cutthroat digital-marketplace today. Keep that in mind during your search.

Next Up

Now that you know what to look for when hunting for a website design agency, write your list. What do you want and why? If you have more questions, or you’re ready to start hunting for the perfect design agency, contact a web development expert today.