Hiring a web agency to design a website for you can be a daunting task. There are many things to compare and contrast between agencies before making a final decision. You assess hiring one over the other and try to predict how things will go with each.
There are obvious questions to ask: who have they worked with what did they deliver? What is their process? How much will it cost to work with them? Are they reliable and what platform do they use?
All of this will help you know what you will get when you hire your chosen agency, but I encourage you to think more about why you are hiring them. There are subjective aspects to consider: Do I feel as if I can get on with them, do I trust them, do they understand my business and so on. You can decide based in science, but your gut feeling will have a lot of influence. A few key questions you should consider asking when talking to an organisation:
1. What makes them different? After all, there are lots other agencies that offer the same services they provide.
They may give you a stock reply about how much great work they have done, but there are a few things to consider: What makes them unique? The main thing is to get an idea of what it would be like to work with them compared to other organisations. If different web design agencies have the same look, the same price, the same approach, the same perception and the same approach for all projects, how do you decide?
Well, if you feel inspired, keep talking. A good team responds by turning the question around in your direction. They should interview you too!
2. How will you and they measure and demonstrate the progress made during a project? As a client, you should have complete visibility of the process throughout your project so that you can contribute your ideas and thoughts.
3. Can they introduce some of their former clients to you? Testimonials on a website are great, but if you’re about to start investing money in a project you’re going to want to have as much comfort as possible.
If do you talk to their former clients, let them know that you are genuinely interested in working with them, but want to be reassured.
4. What platform do they use, e.g. WordPress, Drupal, Squarespace and why? How easy is it for you to understand and will you be dependent on them? Will someone else be able to easily take this over if necessary, or will they be bespoke coding it , and how easy will it be to make changes without incurring significant cost? What happens if they are no longer able to manage the site or you decide you want to move.
5. Does the person who is designing the site understand your business? That is key to them knowing how to project you and your organisation to your marketplace.
There are many other questions of course, but as you continue your research, be sure to provide yourself with enough information to make yourself comfortable with the decision you are about to make and the people you will work with. Open questions like these can work wonders to help narrow your shortlist.
If you have questions to ask us and you are thinking of hiring Pixel Executive ? then we will be happy to chat through all the different aspects and positive reasons to work with us.
