7 Steps to Finding the Right Website Design Company in 2019

How do I find the best web design company?

The worldwide web is a confusing place.

One minute you’re trying to find a new tuxedo for your cat and the next thing you know, you’re ordering a sweater made out of human hair.

We’ve all been there.

Finding the right website to browse is one thing: finding a website or company you want to give your money to is a whole different story.

Finding a local business usually seems pretty straightforward.

You do a quick search for “best web design company” and Google shows you some ads, some listings on their maps, and then some organic listings.

So, what now?

With what seems like is an infinite number of choices, how do you know which company will give you the website of your dreams?

The first option is simple: you hire DELT.

The second option will take some doin’ on your part.

We fancy ourselves as a pretty awesome web design and development company, so we know what questions you need to ask when searching for a company to build you a website.

So, to make your lives easier, we created a guide that you can follow when searching for a website design agency.

Here are 7 simple steps to take to find the perfect web design company

1. Determine the type of agency you need

“I need a web design agency dipshit” is probably what most of you are thinking, but it is not always that simple.

Some agencies work specifically as designers (backend, frontend, UX, etc.) and do not handle web development.

While it may seem common practice for a company to handle both the creating and building of a website, that is not always the case.

Determining what they do and don’t do before you start could save you a whole bunch of time and money.

If you need both, make sure they have web development listed as one of their services.

2. Figure out what kind of culture would be easiest to work with

While the end-product is obviously a keep deciding factor, the personality the company has will make a huge difference in regards to how smoothly the process goes.

Creative agencies love floating around the word “culture”.

Most of the time, that is accompanied by a man sporting a Charles Manson-looking beard or a count of how much coffee they drink.

Those types of businesses are taking over the creative industry.

With that being said, there are still business-first companies that have a strict set of guidelines and a designated sales representative you will speak to about your project.

While researching web design agencies, have a clear understanding of their process, guarantees, and policies

A lot of web companies limit the number of changes they will make to the designs they present.

While it is understandable that they don’t want to make a million revisions if you are someone that can be picky on certain details, that probably isn’t the best type of company for you.

Spend some time on the phone or in-person getting to know the company. Get a feel for their personality and what they do before making a final decision.

2. Decide whether or not you need a local web design agency

Some people don’t mind working with a company over the phone, email, Skype, etc.

Some people get a panic attack when they don’t know the people they are paying or if they can’t have in-person meetings.

Figure out which type of person you are.

There is nothing wrong with either.

If you want a local company, add your city’s name to your search.

Websites can range from a couple hundred dollars to over $100,000.

Like every industry, you get what you pay for (most of the time), so have an idea of what your website costs to you and the amount of money you have to spend.

3. Decide on your budget

Ah.

That dumb ass word.

Budget.

No one likes it but everybody has to face it.

If you are on a tighter budget, look for a smaller, local company.

Or try looking for a newer web design company.

Just because they are young doesn’t mean they suck, and the good news with newer companies is that they are typically much less expensive than older, more established agencies.

If you are basically given a black card for a website design from your boss, don’t hold back.

Look into top website design agency’s in the U.S. and check out their recent work on their website.

Maybe they worked on your FAVORITE website ever.

Or they worked on that big company’s newest project. Either way, if you like their quality of work, reach out.

3. Get an idea of the style you would like for your website

Before contacting any design company, think about the style you like.

Are there any websites you visit frequently that you love? Hate?

Knowing what you absolutely don’t want is just as helpful as knowing what you do like in the design process.

Make a list of websites that feature things on your must have and no freaking way lists.

Some agencies have a distinct style they apply to most of their website designs, and you can try and get a feel for what they have to offer by looking at their portfolio.

If you don’t have any idea what you are looking for, trying looking for an agency that has created a wide range of styles for a wide range of industries to ensure they can adjust their approach to fit your business.

4. Determine your need for SEO

Whether or not you want/need to focus on SEO, it can be a huge decision maker when picking the right web design company.

If the competition is strong in your business’s industry, then SEO should be a priority.

You need to go with a company that makes SEO research part of their website design process.

We, for instance, offer on-page SEO enhancements fffand keyword research/implementation into every website we build, regardless of whether or not we will be providing ongoing SEO or marketing services.

Regardless of your stance, finding an agency that has the ability to mix a solid design with an SEO-focused content strategy is ideal.

5. Figure out how your website needs to be developed

Many times, clients come to us with no particular thoughts on how their website should be built.

Thinking long-term can save you a lot of trouble in the future.

Having a forward-thinking approach before you have your website designed (or redesigned) is the first step to success in regards to digital marketing

A good first step is to determine how you want your website built.

If you or a member of your business will be making changes to your website’s content, images, or any other aspects of the site, a website developed on a content management system is probably the best choice for you.

Common content management systems (CMS) include:

• WordPress
• Drupal
• Joomla
• Shopify

And there are also a handful of website builders like Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace.

If you are looking for a completely custom website, you should do everything in your power to stay away from using a website builder.

If a web design agency offers using a website builder to create your website, they are likely not experienced in web development

So, that leaves choosing a traditional content management system.

Most development agencies have one CMS they use most frequently, so having a look at some dashboard/admin panels may help you decide on what CMS you would like to use.

6. Have an idea of how often your website will need to be updated

Once you have a framework or CMS picked out, you then need to figure out who will be making updates to your site.

While we recommend updating your website’s content as frequently as possible (with at least news or blog articles), some companies only need a static website.

Before we begin any web design and development project, we ask our clients:

• Will it be a static site with little to no changes or updates?
• Does it need to be maintained on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis?
• If so, do you have time or the ability to make these updates?

If you plan on having a third-party/outside agency in charge of updates, have a clear understanding of their change guidelines and pricing on updates and maintenance.

7. Do your research and have your questions prepared

We have our list of questions we ask every company that comes to us in need of a new website. With that being said, there are always additional questions that we think of or our clients have.

Having all of your questions prepared will make your hiring process as easy as possible.

Some additional web design and development questions you want to research or ask include:

• Do you need web and/or email hosting?
• Do you have a specific due date?
• Will you need photos or videos taken for the website?
• What is the primary goal of your website?