Having a website is now an essential part of running your business. Gone are the days where a listing in the local yellow pages is enough to bring in new business. Many people are tempted to go with a quick, cheap website just to get on the web only to find issues with it down the track. These people often find they need to spend more money to repair it or start again. If you or someone you know is about to undertake the development of a new website then this is the article for you. We will take you through all the information you need to ensure you make the best decision for your business. When looking for ideas to get your online store set up, check these guys out as they have one of the bests online stores.
What comes across as a cheap option can sometimes add up in the long run. Every minor change you want to make, your annual hosting, adding pages, these components can sometimes cost more than the development of the website if you have gone for a cheaper option.
Your website is even more important than your shop front if you are a bricks and mortar business and if you are an online business, we don’t need to tell you just how critical this is.
We pride ourselves on creating websites that are customised and as unique as our clients. They are not the cheapest on the market but they are by no means the most expensive either!
You should treat hiring a web design agency in the same way you would treat employing a new staff member. To make this easier we have complied a list of questions you could ask them before moving forward. Any reputable company should be able to answers these questions with ease.
Top 10 Questions to ask before hiring a website designer
- Are they qualified?
- Where did they study?
- Are their qualifications relevant?
- Are they experienced in both designing and development?
- Are they a team of experts?
- Are they an individual specializing in either design or development?
- Can you meet them or see them in person?
- Will they be doing the work or outsourcing it offshore or to another company?
- Have you seen their portfolio of work?
- Do the sites in their portfolio all look the same?
- Would you buy from their customers?
- Do you like their style?
- Does the website function correctly?
- Are their any errors in the display or navigation?
- Will your site be uniquely designed or a template?
- Will you see your site design somewhere else?
- Do they try and understand your business, goals and target audience?
- Will you have access to the back of the site to make your own changes?
- Do you have to pay for updates to text and images?
- Can you edit your website yourself?
- Do they provide complimentary training as part of the project?
- Are they using a platform that is internationally recognized such as WordPress?
- Do they ensure your website is mobile responsive? This is critical and should be a non-negotiable.
- Are their other sites mobile responsive?
- Can they offer web hosting and domain registration?
- Are they up to speed with the latest SEO algorithms?
- Can they assist you with keyword research?
- Can they provide SEO services?
- Do they offer ongoing support and website maintenance?
- Can they assist you with other services such as graphic design and marketing strategy to ensure branding consistency?
