How To Select a Good Web Agency For Your New Website.
Choosing an excellent web agency is not an extremely difficult and rare undertaking.
*But We still recommend reading this little guide that can perhaps help you in the best choice for your Brand and On-Line Success.
So: let's have a look!
Make a list of potential agencies
Most business owners pick one agency from this article, then make a call or two before making their choice.
There are dozens of web design and hosting companies out there taming up new websites.
Here’s where it can get expensive…
When you look around at all the options, it can be difficult deciding which package is right for you.
You need help (and more guidance) picking an agency that fits your needs and expectations. There are some basic questions you should ask yourself when looking into website designs.
Are these people I would work with? What kind of portfolio have they built? What does my project cost?
These are things you want to know about any company you might hire. Same thing here. Are these people I would work with? Have they done many projects similar to mine? Can they handle everything – small or large? Cost doesn’t matter when you use those guys!
Finding someone who matches what you’re asking for is important.
*They shouldn’t already have a big client eating up most of their time either.
It is very risky and time consuming trying to find the best agency online as it is hard to measure them quality-wise.
*We recommend having at least 3–4 candidates before you decide on one. And, trust us, you will eventually land on a good host.
Ask your friends for recommendations
If you have social connections, people that know you well may be able to get other referrals to web agencies.
These might be colleagues from work or people who know you from community groups.
They may also have suggestions as to where to find a good agency. For example, if they had an experience using a specific company to do work, then they could help add another perspective.
Remember however, that these are just friends so only offer advice if you really need it. Your main concern should be finding a good agency with great reviews that will work hard for you and deliver results.
By listening more than talking, you’ll feel more confident in the choices you make.
Friends can also guide you better than professionals because they understand you and your needs.
If you don’t think you have any referral sources, set up a time to speak with them about selecting a new website.
*They can even give you reminders when it’s time to update your online presence.
Check the websites of similar companies and see who their agency is
It’s important to consider how each website in your selection process has been designed. You want an agency that has a lot of experience creating beautiful, effective webpages.
Also ask about the portfolios of these sites. You want to make sure they have plenty of samples that show the type of quality you can expect from them.
Ask about their design team and if they use free software kits such as Dreamweaver or if they prefer proprietary tools like Adobe Creative Suite.
Finally, be wary of agencies that say they offer “web development” services but really specialize in online advertising such as pay-per-click marketing.
Consider instead hiring one company to create all the pages and upload the content onto your site and then hire another firm to manage p&l campaigns on your behalf.
This way you will still get good results, and you'll save time. Time is money when it comes to marketing!
Read reviews of companies
Even if you’re confident about creating your own webpages, it makes sense to see what people are doing and saying online.
There are many review sites and blogs that track website development, look at social media posts, and give insight into how bloggers work and how well they collaborate with publishers.
This helps you get a better feel for the company, and whether or not they are geared towards others rather than just being in-house creators.
Publishing websites can be expensive, so try to find some good deals as you research prices. Find similar publications to see where there is competition – sometimes this will drive down rates.
You also want to have an idea of when payment deadlines are and do some quick calculations before you start. You don’t want to pick a date and then realize you don’t have enough money to make it happen!
At the very least you should have a firm plan of action. Don’t keep calling publishers back again and again waiting for a reply. By making a call and sending one email, you can easily follow up and stay organized.
The more organized you are, the more time you’ll save having phone calls and emails flying around later.
*Plus, once you set a schedule, stick to it. Don’t spend hours calling anyone back who needs additional information or wants to ask something else.
Stick to the schedule you create from the beginning.
Look at the Google ratings
It is also important to check out how quickly an agency can implement changes and updates. The more rapidly you can get feedback on your website, the better it will perform in terms of user experience.
Ask your friends for recommendations
If you get great service or good deals from any company, tell others about it.
Most web companies are not built to compete with customers, but rather to help them reach their target audience.
Your clients or colleagues might also be able to recommend a website agency they have used. Or you can ask around at meetup groups and online forums such as chatters.
In addition to industry-specific questions, you should always ask when deciding which site is right for you, such as whether or not the site provides free upgrades. Find out if the agency handles other marketing tasks such as email design and development, social media presence and advertising.
Also discuss pricing upon implementation of these services.
It’s best to pick an introductory price that works for both parties, so everyone can attend costs and pay amounts that are reasonable.
Do an online search for reviews
After you have decided upon a brand or logo, look up the website where they are marketing their products.
You can do this via Google Search or Bing review searches. Many times these websites will list other online brands that offer similar services and products.
You can also look into web design companies as well; it is best to go with a recommended company that has a consistent track record of excellent work.
Call each company and make an inquiry – ask questions about their past projects, what kinds of advertising efforts were used plus their experience levels.
Listen closely to what each company tells you about their services and prices. Assess how much time would be needed to get your new website up and running.
Most good agencies will charge you by the project (not per week).
*It’s not going to cost you $600 or more for someone to create a simple webpage.
Within your budget, choose which one comes closest to giving you the quality and service you want.
Check your social media presence
Are you active on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+?
If not, that is an easy way to see how popular you are now.
How do your profiles compare with those of your competitors? What articles have people shared most often?
These are all ways to find out what people like about you and your brand. You can also use web analytics software to see where people are coming from and what pages they are landing on.
By having an idea of which routes to market lead people most commonly use, you’ll be able to create specific marketing campaigns to increase traffic to different parts of your website.
In order to achieve this, you’ll need to track which keywords people are searching and which links they are clicking through to your site from search results.
*Then, try bidding on these words in targeted advertising options so that you can promote your business via organic search engine optimization.
This will give you a record of who you are targeting and their search habits.
Why would they look for yourself or your products online? Do they have particular needs or interests?
You could then target those clients more specifically by focusing on related searches, categories or topics.
*For example, if someone has shown an interest in hunting or camping recently, send them content related to these subjects.
If you have experience as a volunteer or professional helping other businesses get started with internet marketing, consider putting together a free tutorial to help others learn about.
Look at your unique needs
It is one thing to consider costs, programming skills or designer recommendations but it is of great importance to take into consideration everything about you and your business.
Consider what works best for you, your brand and customer base.
There are some very basic websites that are perfect candidates for most businesses. People really only need to create an online account to find out more information!
But if you have a website that is more complex and needs to be considered from their perspective, then they will spend time looking around and making an informed decision with both new and old information you can receive.
It is also important to note that there are different levels of customization available with different web design agencies. You may want a template footer with a large button size and clean style.
Or maybe you prefer something more minimalist using one background image and vertical text.
The point is to know what appeals to you and your branding within your site.
This way you can get the utmost quality while still having a personalized look.
Post Created by: ETAZ Web Art Solutions
Sviluppo Siti Web Vetrina ed E-Commerce Professionali ad Alto Rendimento SEO.
Agenzia Web Italia*
