Choosing a new web design agency to work alongside your business can be tough; you’re going to want what’s best for your business but, with so many options out there, it can be hard to know if you’re making the right call when you do decide on an agency.
So, to do what’s right for your business, it’s best not to just go for the first agency you come across to make the process quicker. To help you along the way with your decision, we’ve put together a quick guide to choosing a web design agency.
Look through their portfolio thoroughly
Many web design agencies will claim to be the best in the business or the best in your local area, but that’s not to say that they’re the best fit for your specific business, so you should always look through their portfolio first.
We spoke to the digital and print agency Liquid Bubble who said: “If an agency is worth liaising with, they will have a full portfolio which they should have no problem sharing with you. It’s so important to view portfolios because you have to really like what the agency does.”
“An agency’s portfolio is highly likely to showcase their best work, so if even their highest-quality of work doesn’t seem to be a good fit for your business, it may be time to move on.”
Consider your brief
You should always consider your brief before you start to consider agencies so, with that in mind, try to have your brief put together before you reach out to anyone. When you do decide to reach out, consider the following points when you discuss your brief:
- Exactly how you wish for the agency to help you.
- Exactly how you wish to measure the agency’s success (or otherwise) with your website.
- The project’s budget.
- The size of the project.
- Whether or not your new website will need to be responsive.
If you bring up these points during your initial contact with the agency, you will ensure that both of you are on the same page and no one’s time is going to be wasted. If you’re having difficulty writing your brief, have a look through this website for some pointers.
Check their references (and check again!)
Once you have narrowed down your options to a few agencies, it’s time for reference checks as it should be standard practice to ask for references for any agency you work with. A reputable agency should offer at least five different references for you to look at and you should feel free to ask for some more if you wish.
Reading between the lines is of utmost importance when looking at references as it can be difficult to decipher the most salient points. Reading carefully should show your clear enough what the agency does and how well they do it. If you’re unsure about why references are so important, this article explains things well.