What to Avoid When Choosing a Web Design Agency in Adelaide
Caity Lavelle | April 6, 2022
It is crucial to use a set of specific expectations and criteria when selecting your first web design company. Anybody can create a website using the many DIY templates available online. We live in a technologically advanced world where you can use tutorials and templates to create a website. However, you need a professional to help you create a functional and exceptional website for your business. Unfortunately, there are web design agencies out there offering non-reliable services and delivering low-quality websites. For this reason, we have picked up on signs that will help you determine which companies to avoid.
No one wants to waste their money and time only to get a website that does not attract customers or add value to their business and brand. Instead, you need an agency that understands your business goals, audience, has the necessary resources and knows how to deliver. This article will give you a quick view of what to avoid when choosing your first web design agency.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Web Designer
Since your website is your business’s online face, you must ensure that your visitors get the best brand experience to succeed. Working with a developer to create a top quality web design will ensure you create an excellent first impression on your customers. Here are some questions to ask before hiring your first web designer firm.
What strategy will you use to help me achieve my business goals?
Your web designer should tell you how they will help you earn more clients, improve sales, and help your business get to the next level. This question will tell you whether they have researched your website and competitors to find opportunities for you.
What is your vision?
This question will let you know whether your goals align with their vision. However, the agency may not have all the answers to what you envision since you are still new to them.
How do you approach copywriting?
Website design catches your customers’ attention, but the copy is what gets people to stay and invest in you. Look for a web designer who will not only advise you on what kind of copy to include, but one that will write all of your content for you.
What support and focus do you have on SEO and mobile optimisation?
These are critical components for your website since almost everybody uses their phone to access information. So, your website must look great on every mobile screen, load fast, and incorporate SEO from the beginning.
What kind of ongoing support will you provide?
Although this is not a compulsory service, experts highly recommend having a maintenance plan with your website. This is because you must be sure that your site is being updated, secured, and backed up. You also need a web designer on call when something goes wrong.
What you need to stay away from
Ensure you avoid these things when choosing a web design agency in Adelaide.
Cheap Rates
Most people who do not know the web design world look for companies offering their services at cheap rates. Such people do not look at the quality of services provided as long as they will not part with much money. Unfortunately, low prices means paying for a poor quality website. If you want advanced features and functions, you must pay more. Eventually, you will spend more money on your website than if you hired a high-end professional. Compare quotes from different web design companies to get the average you should pay for your type of website.
Full Payment Upfront
Professional and legitimate web designers do not ask for full payment before doing any work. Instead, they will ask for a deposit. The web design company will then talk to you to agree on a payment plan until the launching phase. So, watch out for any web design company that demands full payment upfront.
Too Much Tech Speak
Most business owners do not know about web design, and that is why they opt to hire a web designer. However, some web designers take advantage of their situation by using a lot of tech-speak when laying out the project’s plans. Most clients sign up for things they do not understand, but they have to pay because the designer said so. Sometimes, the tech-speak is a way to have the client pay more. If you do not know the web design world and your designer uses lots of tech words, avoid that company and continue your search. Look for a designer that will speak to you plainly.
CMS not Included
Always ask if your web design company will include a Content Management System on your website. If they do not add a CMS, give that company a hard pass. A website without a CMS will make it challenging to edit content, and you can only solve this problem by calling your web design company to edit the information for a fee. Look for web design companies that incorporate a CMS platform like WordPress.
Nonresponsive Website Design
You need a responsive website if you want your business to succeed. The world has shifted to mobile, with smartphone users outnumbering desktop users. Google has also rolled out mobile-first indexing, meaning that your site will not rank on the SERPs if it is not optimised for mobile. A responsive website design means that your website displays well across all screens. So, ensure that the company you hire does responsive web design.
Web Design-Only Companies
Creating a website a few years ago meant hiring a web designer for your site’s aesthetics and a separate web developer adelaide for its functionality. However, this is no longer the case. A web design company should offer web design and development services. Do not hire a company that only offers to make your website look good and nothing else.
How Marketing Sweet Can Help You
At Marketing Sweet, we understand that choosing amongst the best web developer companies is not an easy decision, let alone trying to avoid the bad ones. You need to take the time to vet different firms for your project. Your website is the online face of your business, and you must make it as attractive and functional as possible. So, it is worth the research to find a firm that will help you achieve your business goals. The internet is highly competitive, and you need to beat the competition and emerge as the best in your industry. So, it is only wise to equip yourself with the best technology and techniques.
Marketing Sweet has been building incredible websites for over a decade now, and our previous clients can attest to our quality and professionalism. We have helped many companies rank on Google’s Page 1. Our team will take the time to understand your goals and tailor our services toward achieving those objectives.