In today’s digital landscape, a well-designed website is crucial for every business. It’s your storefront, your brand ambassador, and a gateway to increased sales and brand awareness. However, before entrusting a top web design company with your vision, it’s essential to ensure they align with your specific goals.
As a web design agency, we’ve seen countless people make mistakes when choosing a web design partner. Often, they prioritize flashy aesthetics over strategic planning. The best approach is to find a company that understands your short-term and long-term objectives, and crafts a website that propels your business forward.
To empower you to make informed decisions, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 most common mistakes people make when choosing a web design partner, along with crucial tips on what to look for in a top web design agency.
10 Most Common Mistakes People Make While Hiring a Web Design Agency:
Not Having a Plan:
You’d be surprised how many potential clients need a plan, strategy, or detailed approach to their project. We always request that new leads send us a specification on paper describing their project. Only approach an agency, or multiple agencies, after first providing them with the same document. Otherwise, you never know what they’ll understand. A verbal conversation is great, but a specification is preferable!Not Focusing on a Mobile-Friendly Design:
Over 60% of internet browsing occurs on mobile devices, and 74% of people are more likely to return to a mobile-optimized website. Without your mobile website, you may lose potential customers as they become frustrated with the challenging user experience. A mobile-friendly design is typically included in your website template, but it has varying levels of flexibility. Your web design company can advise you on implementing a mobile-friendly design so you don’t lose revenue on mobile devices.Paying Too Much:
It is sometimes very challenging to know at which point you may be overcharged when you factor the cost of building a website. The best way to assess whether the right amount is being paid for the website is by creating a budget and then examining the value of the work that is being done for the money. Consequently, larger agencies are often more costly as they seek to keep high-value operations with multitudes of workforce and resources. They’re faster and more efficient in producing the products business desires, hence, more expensive.Not Reading Reviews:
According to various statistics, 93% of customers are highly interested in reading reviews of the business to check their quality. You should, as well. Seek to look at widely available reviews about each of the web design agencies in your list.
It is also important to ensure that the web design agency already has a good track record in the industry. And check if they have any minor issues regarding professionalism or time supposed for the process.Ignoring the Value of CMS:
A CMS is a centralized portal where you can manage your website’s content. A CMS can be useful for a business lacking in manpower because it saves time that would otherwise be spent hand-coding web pages.
CMS platforms that are used includes: WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, and Shopify. WordPress is the most customizable of all content management systems. A developer can alter a feature; build a website according to the user’s specifications or follow a template. Squarespace and Wix are WYSIWYG editors that allow for the most user-friendly drag-and-drop system, and Shopify helps launch an eCommerce website.Not Considering Your Website’s Future Maintenance:
Some business owners are surprised to learn that even after creating the desired website, it still needs ongoing maintenance and updates to function optimally. If a project is complex and requires a number of subject-related skill sets to be used in conjunction with the basic content management system, a top web design company should be recruited. The WordPress website solution from a professional web design agency like Marketing Sweet and the plug-ins provided allow you to add a higher degree of carefulness to your user interface without having to start the actual designing and building again.Ignoring the User Experience:
There’s more to a great website than just design and text. User experience (UX) refers to how easy and enjoyable it is for visitors to use your website. While many business owners focus heavily on design or content, neglecting UX is a missed opportunity. A well-designed UX can significantly boost conversions, such as sales and registrations, by up to 400%. By prioritizing a user-friendly experience, you can ensure your website is not just visually appealing, but also effective in achieving your business goals. I can safely say that one can have great design and user experience, but our preference has always been strongly on the usability side. So visitors easily recognize text, find links and site is designed properly to convert visitors into clients.More Than Just a Web Designer:
In today’s competitive job market, it’s crucial to hire web designers with a comprehensive understanding of the field, not just a basic idea. A well-designed and developed website can seamlessly integrate social media, while also being optimized for search engines, boosting your ranking and online visibility.
Today, a significant portion of business comes from referrals and effective SEO campaigns. Regularly uploading fresh, relevant content is also essential. A reputable web design company can help you with all these aspects, including SEO optimization, to elevate your website above the competition.Building for You, Not Your Customer:
While making your website enjoyable is important, user-friendliness should be the top priority. This means crafting a clear and easy-to-navigate website with essential information like prices, location, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) readily available. Every piece of content should resonate with your target audience and ultimately answer their questions with a resounding “yes,” making them more likely to convert.Not Asking for SEO Skills:
Search engine optimization is one of the most important attempts when it comes to positioning your website. A web designer with SEO expertise takes a holistic approach, optimizing both the visual design and technical elements of your website for better search engine performance. When hiring a web designer, it is also important to check whether the candidate is familiar with matters related to SEO and can optimize websites.
Conclusion:
We all know that it’s tempting to hire the first web design company you talk to, but taking the time to find the right fit is crucial. While outsourcing web design can be convenient, choosing the perfect partner requires careful consideration. Here are some key mistakes to avoid when searching for a web design agency for your business. By understanding your needs and goals upfront, you’ll be well-equipped to make an informed decision.
SoftCircles is a web design company that may be a great choice for your needs because it will assist you in developing original and attractive websites that your end users will love. They have been in the industry for over 12+ years and their domain focuses on building custom and visually appealing websites for clients.
Featured image source: Teamwork.com