With over 1.9 billion websites, you need your website to compete with the big guys. And if you don’t even have a website, you need to design one as soon as possible.
Before you try and create a business website without experience, you should look into hiring a website design service. You should also consider looking into website management companies to keep things up to date. That way, you can make sure your site will look good among the billions of others out there.
Read on to learn more.
Consider What You Need
First, you should figure out what you need your website to have. You may want to have a page that lists your services and links people to a booking website to schedule an appointment.
Or perhaps you want to build an eCommerce store and so need your site to host products. You might also want to have a blog that helps describe and promote your products or services.
Think about the goal of your website, such as to make sales or to get people to visit your physical location. Then, you can make sure the website design company you choose will help you focus on that goal.
A good website design company will be able to create and optimize a website for your objectives. That way, you’ll be able to help grow your business online.
Compare Design and Development
Another part of hiring a website design service is choosing between design and development. Web design focuses more on the visual aspects of your website, from the colors to the layout.
On the other hand, web development involves coding with languages such as JavaScript. In some cases, it can help to hire a company that offers both design and development.
Then, you’ll be able to build a website that looks good and works well on the backend. However, you might only need one service or the other, so you should consider which one.
Determine Your Budget
Another vital part of building a business website is keeping a good business budget. While your website can help your business grow, you don’t want to go too into debt for it.
Consider how much you can afford to spend on a good website. If you’re building a site from scratch, you will need to spend thousands of dollars on the project.
However, you can find ways to save money on the website. For example, you might only ask a company to create a few pages for you, and you add other pages later.
As you start researching website design companies, look for their pricing. Then, you can get an idea of how much money you’ll need to design the website of your dreams.
Set a Timeline
You should also consider when you want to launch your new company website. Depending on the extent of the project, it may take a few months to get everything ready.
On the other hand, you can shorten the timeline by starting with the minimum. You can have a company design a small site to get you started, and you can add to it later.
Then, you’ll be able to launch when you need to. Knowing your timeline can also help you decide between two companies, especially if one has a long waitlist.
You can go with the website design company that’s able to start sooner so that you can transition to an online business quicker.
Research Companies
Once you know what you need and how much you can afford to spend, do more detailed research on companies. You can find local website design firms or companies all over the world.
Find their websites and take a look at the designs of those sites. If a website design company’s own website isn’t very good, their client sites probably aren’t the best either.
You may also want to review the social media profiles of various companies. Then, you can learn more about the company and their design process, and you can see if they have an active following that loves their work.
Think About Their Experience
As you research a company, look for some details on their experience as a website design firm. Consider how long the company has been in business and how big the design team is.
Then, look into the design team and see if the company shares the experience of each designer. The more you can learn about who will do the work, the better you can feel about hiring a company.
Now, you may find some newer website design businesses. But they may have experienced designers on staff, or they might charge less than other companies.
Be sure to compare their experience to other factors related to the project. You don’t always need the most experienced company, especially if your site will be relatively simple.
View Their Portfolio
Even if you know a company has a lot of design experience, you should still look at their portfolio. You may be able to find the portfolio on a company’s website, so you can check out their previous projects.
If a company doesn’t have a portfolio on their site, contact them for access to some of their work. Then, you can look at the websites in their portfolio and how they currently are.
That way, you’ll be able to determine if you like how the websites look and how they work. Every website designer will have a unique style, and you need to choose a designer that can help get the results you want.
You may find a website design service that sounds perfect. However, if all of their designs are too formal or too bright for your website, you may want to look elsewhere.
Look for Testimonials
In your search, you may come across some reviews of the website design services you’re considering. Reviews will tell you a lot about what it’s like to work with a particular design company.
However, if you can’t find any reviews, ask the company for some testimonials. You might find some reviews on the company’s website, but you can contact them directly if there aren’t any reviews available.
A company should have some testimonials from previous clients. The clients can share what they loved about the service and what they wish was different.
If you want to look for both positive and negative reviews, you can also ask other business owners you know. Ask if anyone has worked with a company and get their feedback before you hire a design firm.
Have a Meeting
Once you narrow your search to a few website design companies, meet with each of them. Before the meeting, write down a list of questions you have about the project.
Make sure you ask about the cost, timeline, and other factors. The company may also ask you about your needs and the overall project, so prepare to discuss those details. At the end of the meeting, you can ask for a quote to get an idea of how much that service will cost. You can also discuss how to lower the cost if the number is too high.
You’ll also want to confirm that they offer business website management services to keep your site current – both in content and technically. In the case that they don’t offer this, you’ll need to find another website management services company to work with, assuming you don’t want to do this on your own.
While you can hire a website design company without a consultation, it can give you peace of mind. Both parties will know what the other party expects, so you can make sure you’re on the same page from the beginning.
Compare Your Options
After you meet with a few website design service providers, consider all of your options. If you took notes during a meeting or received a proposal, go over the details.
You can even make a table comparing everything from the number of website pages you’ll get to the timeline. Comparing those details may help you decide which company is the right fit for you.
On the other hand, you may find that each company is missing something. You may decide to look at other companies out there and go through the same research and meeting process.
Don’t be afraid to do this though, because you want your website to be the best it can possibly be. That way, you’ll be able to use the site to help grow your business.
Prepare for Maintenance
As you look for the best website design service, you should consider ongoing maintenance and updates. Some firms will do the initial design and leave updates to you.
Other companies will help offer management services to handle maintenance and significant updates to your website. Neither option is best for every business, so think about your goals.
If you plan to offer the same service for a while, you may be able to handle making changes. However, you might want help with updates if you plan to launch new products frequently.
You should also consider how good you are with technology. Some website design platforms have a steep learning curve, so you may want to leave the changes to a professional.
Which Website Design Service Will You Choose?
If you’ve struggled to grow your business, many things could be the issue. However, if you don’t have a website, that is probably part of the problem.
Fortunately, you can hire the best website design service to get your business online and help it grow. Just be sure to compare a few factors to help choose the right company for the project.
Are you ready to start designing your new website or need help with website management? Learn about our website design and development service.
