Yes, we know we’ve shared this specially curated list of agencies, but choosing a website design and development agency which is a right match for your company is not an easy task. It is an investment for your brand and you should know where to invest. In addition to an investment, it is like handing over your brand’s reputation and public image in the hands of other people. We understand it very well, hence here are some homework and important facts we suggest you need to know before deciding your web design agency/partner.
1. Understand and know your requirements
Why do you need a website for? Are you an online seller? Are you going to run a blog? Is it going to be a portfolio? Think about the purpose of starting your website. Also, define the category of the audience that will visit your website. That should give you a rough idea in your mind about your requirement.
2. How much can you spend
Before starting any project or approaching any web design company, count on your budget! Your budget for the website should be an integral part of your marketing budget. Usually, it can range anywhere from $1000 to $25000 or more depending upon your company’s strength, reputation, age, etc & of-course web design companies pricing structure too. In general, if you have a flexible budget, you have the room to select a better agency from the ones you like. You can also add new features or accommodate any other upsells in the future.
3. References / Competing websites
‘Experience counts!’ Getting some references might help you to be clear about the exact requirement for your business website. Go online, surf through the web pages, try to find some references for similar business. Also, you can analyze and check your competitors’ web pages layout, their content on the website as well.
4. Briefing
When you meet the agency, show them the references that you have found and brief them thoroughly for the website you’re looking for. Ask for more suggestions, see how they’re reacting to your brief. Are they already coming up with some ideas? If yes, are the ideas matching with your mindset? If there is more sync between you and your agency, there would be very fewer chances of knowledge gaps and it would help a lot in the creation of a seamless website.
5. Designing & Developing
Confirm if the agency you have selected has both – designers & developers or they are just web page designers? If they are just web designers, would they help you in publishing your website online? If you want your future website to look great and win accolades and awards, you need a website development team too. So select an agency that provides both services and is professional enough to deliver your project on time. Though these points may seem mediocre to you at first glance, they certainly help in selecting the best company.
6. Planning & Executing
It is perfectly ok to ask the agency how they would go ahead with your website project. Do they already follow a process? If not, ask them for one, created particularly for your project so that you can streamline the whole process of getting the website live. Ask them to keep you in the loop for every stage of planning and execution to reduce mistakes and knowledge gaps between both parties.
7. Content
Content carries equal importance as website design. Check if they’re good with copy/content and follow good SEO practices. If they’re positive, talk about your business. Explain to them your product/services and your target customer. They should be able to plan keywords after your detailed brief. After all, a website is all about attractive visuals and useful information.
8. Portfolio
Go through their previous work. Check their clients and their client retention ratio. See if they have worked for any clients in your industry. If they have worked, they already understand the problems and target audience, which should be beneficial to you. Also, their portfolio should be able to tell you if they are updated with the latest design trends and technologies.
9. Fees
Talk about the cost/bills/fees. Confirm what technology they would use for the website development. Check if they would be managing your website after publishing or not because there are going to be frequent updates with your website in future if you have new products or services coming. Will there be a maintenance cost? Some more additional questions that you may ask;
What do they charge for maintaining a blog separately if you need to have? Are they going to provide a chatbot or a virtual assistant (VA) for the website?
Tell them your requirements & compare the rates with other top agencies shortlisted before finalizing the deal. Payment Structure and releases should be mutually decided based upon intermediate deliveries/milestones. Clarity of these issues ensures a smooth and problem-free execution of the project.
10. Copyrights & Source Files
Make sure to put a copyright on website pages and get the source files from your web design company. The source files would be useful to you in future if you decide to make any changes in the website on your own. Also if you decide to choose another agency anytime in the future for adding new modules/features to the current website, you would need source files.
11. Don’t forget the Domain Name
Do you have a domain name purchased? If not, decide a title and ask the agency to register and buy it on your name. Make sure you own the domain name yourself.
12. Timeline
Lastly, consider sharing your timeline for the project with the web design agency. Share with them the expected time period in which you need your website ready. If you don’t have preferred timeline, discuss with them about the ideal time it should take to make the site live and ask them to stick to the same timelines they had suggested. After all, you need to know the time period, so you can accordingly plan other business strategies!
Again we would say that your website is crucial for your business and you’re not going to make it every week or every month. This is an investment for more leads, more revenues or to give a solid impact for your business. Shortlist a couple of agencies from our top list and then start an online discussion). Discuss with them and choose the ideal agency to start your project. Plan everything in advance, be a part of each design process step, and get an excellent website designed for your business!
Web design is very important. Its the virtual door that most customers enter first. A professional web design is vital to a vistors first impression, and can be the difference between leaving as a customer or visitor.
Modern web design characteristics. Don't give me something that looks like 1999. I need to be able to get to the information I feel is important within 2-3 clicks max And I need to get there quickly. There's no time to wait for screens to refresh slowly.
In today’s world of the connected consumer it is imperative as a business to have a professional web design that quickly gives the visitor insight into who you are, what you are about, and how you can help them.
Presentation, speed
Speed, Intuitive navigation, Presentation - If the information is presented poorly Its cumbersome and ineffective, If the site runs too slow its inconvenient, and if I can find exactly what I want on the site because its too complex or not intuitive in its navigation it is ineffective.
Firstly, the look and feel of the website needs to reflect the product and service the company is selling. A professional service company should have a professional look, while a tech company should look more modern with a better UI. Secondly, key information about your company and products/service should be easily accessible, navigation must be kept simple. Thirdly, Always end with with a call to action.
A website has become a very important aspect for every business in today's landscape and in most cases even more important than them having a physical office address. It should include its product and services offering in a clear and succinct manner so that there is a clear portrayal of the value proposition it looks to provide to its consumer. Design is also important as well as customer engagement .
Branding is highly important, clarity of information and how it's presented. You want to get a feel for how the business will take on a web design project. You want to trust that they can delivery the highest of quality and if their brand doesn't match that then I would walk away.
A good website will definitely need to have a good speed. Otherwise, potential clients will be irritated and close the website altogether. Others matters, of course, especially the presentation.
Overall the design must represent me• Does it tell my story? The communication with the vendor must be open and clear. There must be a balance between speed and innovative design
Clarity of Information first and then design
I generally tend to correlate the quality of the website with the quality I can expect of the service or product. When I come across poorly designed websites that are hard to navigate, slow to load, or difficult to find the information needed, I find myself trying to avoid doing business with that organization if possible.
Design & Speed will guarantee clarity of information & overall presentation.
Functionality, clarity of information and usability are the qualities I look for in a website
For me it’s the design and speed, and nothing salesy. I don’t mind a CTA but I look for value not pitch. I also shy away from big claims that aren’t instantly substantiated, and am a big stickler foot typos, design errors, Mobile unresponsiveness, etc
Today it is fundamental for any business to have an online presence, be it through social media platforms, a company website, or better all of them. A company websites obviously makes the longer lasting impression on potential customers. I personally look for response speed and an easy to browse user interface, where I can quickly find what I am looking for. The website must also account for the multitude of different devices that can be used for access, seamlessly adapting to various screen sizes and resolutions.
Many businesses make the mistake of neglecting usability. Usability is critical for the success of any website and should never be overlooked. Good usability can improve the performance of your website and increase your chances of success. It can also boost sales and revenue for your business. For your website to successful, it should not only look good but also provide a seamless user experience for visitors. This is why good usability is important. It will set your website apart from your competition. In web design, good website usability is about making it easy for visitors to find the information they need quickly and easily. 1. Mobile Compatibility 2. Accessible to All Users ( including blind, disabled or the elderly) 3. Well Planned Information Architecture 4. Well-Formatted Content That Is Easy to Scan 5. Fast Load Times 6. Browser Consistency 7. Effective Navigation 8. Good Error Handling 10. Contrasting Colour Scheme 11. Usable Forms Examples I like very much: wolframalpha.com or fmylife.com https://www.wolframalpha.com fmylife.com
Is a professional and modern design, With a great team and a great help to our customers and community. Congratulations, you are a great professional and dedicated. Well done!
Web design is critical to business success. I would seek the fooling: 1.Clarity of information 2. Cost 3. What they specialize in 3. Credibility 4. Quality 5. Are they on social media 6. Do they have a thank you page 7. Check online reviews
Web design is very important in providing the right first impression to those who view it. Clarity of information and good, clear presentation are vital.
Design of a websie is extrreamly important. It is the virtual entrance for many customers to shy of all organisations or businesses. A professional website is vital for all as it is their first impression, can be the difference between leaving or staying, learning more or buying.
A website must address my information needs and make the content easy to find. I don't visit a website to experience a brand or read some clever copy. I have specific tasks I want to accomplish And if your site doesn't help, I'll absolutely check out a competitive site.
I would look for fast speed and clarity of information, and professional captivating design.
The first impression is the look , clean but attractive and you must know from the FIRST 5 sec what this site is About!! Then iT should have logica function and work fast
At some point or the other in your business a professional website is very paramount. And for me I think whatever you do while creating your website make sure it's user friendly in terms of speed and the response rate,in teams of clarity and design too.
Website play a viral role in business. Not only for the business but also for the job seekers and all.
Web design is the key to turn your visitors into potential customer. A good website must be combination of : 1) Simple Design : for good user experience. Simplicity is what customer look for. 2) Faster Speed : In today's era the attention span of visitor is too short, if your site took too long to load then forget about repeat visitors. 3) Focused content : Short, Sweet & Simple that's all you want. If you try to put too much information then you are losing the edge. Use summary, infographics & videos which is more attractive & informative than long speech. I hope all these info will help you to design a good website
The website design must be very appealing & engaging with vibrant colours, right size font, less text but still getting the intended message across to the viewer. It must also be highly functional with well designed workflows to meet business needs.
User interface experience, how easy is to get to certain information, emotional marketing.
A slow website drives me bananas! I like fast and something that makes me feel someone made the website thoughtfully. Aesthetically pleasing yet functional. Easy to use and appealing to the eye. When I log off I want to remember your website or logo so I come back ... keep it simple but make me remember you. Thanks!
Everything is written in the question, Speed, Design, Clarity of information and
A good website must be fast, clear and with less possibile "plugin" messing around the DOM. The relevant informations must follow the F shape pattern and the general font should be eye saving if is more than a dozen of words.
The most important values are usability, clarity, and design. The user needs to be able to get the info he wants in no more than 2-3 clicks. Therefore the website should not be dispersive, but precise and concise texts. This can make the difference in having just a user or a customer. Nowdays we are used to the 'fast and smart', a chaotic website or a heavy design will make the user close the page.
Speed, Design and Clarity of Information
Usually the web design could be seen as a way in which a company positions themselves. A bad web design can give the business an appearance of cheap therefore causing the customer to subconsciously devalue the company’s product.Therefore, web design mentally establishes a company’s marketing position and has the power to make a customer leave website or stay.
The importance of web design and ease of use is incredibly prevalent in the internet world. In a sea of websites, it's important as a brand and as a website itself to be interesting, memorable, and easy to use. This is true for any company of any size, to remain relevant to competition and users. There is no black and white in anything in life and this even includes the non physical world of the internet. Businesses and companies should build apps that balance all aspects, speed, design, clarity of information, and presentation, otherwise the user will feel as if it is incomplete, unbalanced, and/or unlikable and will likely spread their opinion to their peers and not revisit the website or consult the company for what can even be perceived as unprofessionalism.
First of all, the main factor is speed. If the website takes too long to load, you lose a big chunk of users even before they have the chance to check any information. Then the overall UX. Being “pretty”, clean, easy to navigate and deliver the relevant information to the users visiting the website.
Design simplicity with clear value proposition
Clarity of information, design and speed where I should be able to navigate effortlessly.
Any companies website represents their business, so it must be clear, fast, representative and fully functional and correct. Too often old or inaccurate information is online. Your website is your digital sales representative, so make sure it provides what your (potential) customer wants.
Speed, information understandable with ease and also the presentation plays an important role in holding back on to a website.
I look for all of those things in a website. It needs to present well and draw the user in with a clean design, a strong headline is the next piece, then through all of the secondary headlines I should be able to get an understanding of what the website is presenting. This should be able to be done in a quick scroll of the homepage.
Also price, value and reputation.
Speed, Design, Clarity of Information, Presentation . All are very important to. I want people to feel who I am, what I represent, feel like they gotten to know me and comfortable communicating with me
A Website is very important for a business to show of its products and to be keeping up to date in today's ever changing world. It needs to be professional and eye catching easy to navigate and be able to purchase a product without any difficulty. Contact information should be an important part of the website so customers can get in touch with any concerns. Customer service is an important part of the shopping experience even on a website.
For me, I'm looking at Design and quality of the information presented.
"We only get one chance to make a great first impression, so the look and feel of the website has to engage the customer, and they have to quickly understand the product and/or service. User friendly is also very important, so speed and ease of navigating to find what is most important to them is critical.
uniqueness that translate into value and purpose
Must convey the company clearly and be inviting and esay to understand.
Speed, Design, Clarity of Information, Presentation. All of these are table stakes. My only quibble would be that clarity of information and presentation is in fact job one and two of "good" design. If your site/first point of contact does not hit all these notes your prospect is going to bounce. If you nail these three you are off to a good start, but you still need to be able to engage the customer as a person, not a prospect. You need a story that your visitor can connect with, some FOMO, and a clear and enticing CTA. And you need to understand how to get your visitor all the way through your site. What outcome/goal do you want? How do you enable the visitor to achieve it? And then how do you create a path to that outcome with the least amount of friction? Answer those questions to create something emotionally engaging and mechanically invisible and you'll have happy customers rather than visitors.
Design & Presentation
Yes a good website is important for all businesses. The only exception I believe is a restaurant or bar that is well known for decades and just needs to communicate the basics such as hours, location, etc. The most important factors for me is that a website looks professional and polished and has a great user experience and information architecture, and that it communicates the value clearly.
I think a website should be able to take my attention as a Client at the first time I look at it and the speed , design , information are very important to us
Definitely, all business need to a professional site for branding and identity purpose. No matter how small or big anyone's business.
@Oliver Thank you for your views. In fact, I visit many websites and if it does not give me a good first impression, a pleasant design, I would leave the website without even navigating. A good web design is essential to keep the visitors engaged and eventually turn them into customers. Thank you once again for your opinion here Oliver.
@Daniel P. Thank you for sharing your opinion here. You are right, a good UX & simplicity is necessary here. A user-friendly website would attract more visitors and engage well with the users. Thanks again for your opinion here.
@Adam Exactly Adam! I really doubt if people even trust the businesses that do not have a website or an online presence. Thank you for your valuable opinion here.
@Tamica Right! If a website does not give answers to the user's questions directly or takes time to load, it would affect the overall business representation. Thanks for your views here.
@Bradley Absolutely! I would not waste my time on a website that takes time to load, is difficult to navigate and does not provide me with a solution easily.
@TingWei Thanks a lot for your opinion here TingWei. Yes the first impression of any website is important here and key information should be easily accessible if we do not want the visitors to feel lost on the website. CTA is important, well planned and effective CTAs do not fail to encourage people to take action on any web page. Thanks again for your opinion TingWei
@Saheb Youssef Thank you so much for sharing your views here. As you are mentioning here rightly, a website should definitely talk clearly about the product/service with an easy UI that engages well with the customers.
@Craig Absolutely! A website should always be designed and developed by syncing it with branding guidelines. Even I get furious when I find a website not talking the same things as per their promotions. Thank you so much for your opinion here
@Norshafa Wati Absolutely! We don't want people to leave the website, it should load faster easily. I strongly recommend the presentation and a great UI Norshafa. Thanks a lot for your valuable opinion here
@Doug right! The design must replicate your and your business purpose. It should be direct and easy to understand. Speed is also an important factor Doug. Thanks a lot for your opinion here.
@Gaurav right! Clarity of information and design are important! Thanks for your opinion here.
@Sheridan that's how I think! I do judge businesses and their product/services with their website most of the times. It's simple, if they care about their client and new business from the website, they make if outstanding. Thanks a lot for your opinion here.
@John Felix I agree, design and speed are the most important factors for any website
@Gonzalo right! Functionality and easy navigation bring clarity of the information on any website. Thanks for your opinion here.
@Cory definitely! Gone are those days when they used to put product presentations on website. I do like the organic approach for any web platform whether it is a website or any other platform to represent a business. The little things like typos, design errors and responsiveness could of course spoil the impression of any reputed business. Thanks a lot for your review here
@Roberto yes, website/ digital presence is like a basic requirement for businesses these days. No one would even trust a business without a web presence. Of course, speed and easy interface are necessary for every website. Now when we browse the internet using multiple devices, a website for sure needs to be responsive for a seamless experience. Thanks a lot for your opinion here.
@Nihat agreed with all your points here Nihat. Thanks a lot for your insightful opinion here.
@Florin Sebastian thanks for your opinion here!
@Zakiya I agree. All the points that you have mentioned are important for the digital presence of any business. Thanks for your opinion here.
@Ben absolutely Ben. Clarity of information and a clear presentation are must for any website.
@Cindy Anne thanks for your opinion here. Yes, a website being the first impression for any business, it is extremely important that it looks good.
@Scot right. A website should come with all necessary information and important content. If a website does not fulfill the visitor's purpose, it's a waste for sure. Thanks a lot for your opinion here.
@Michelle okay! speed, clarity of information and professional design are indeed the basic things to look for in web design. Thanks for your opinion here.
@Martin of course. The first look does matter in case of websites. And then it is all about how the useful information is communicated. Thanks a lot for your opinion here.
@Oby Right. A website becomes necessary at any point of business when it is about introducing ourselves. Yes, a user-friendly website with good speed is indeed great for everyone. Thanks a lot for your opinion here Oby
@Prerana Right. It's vital for every business and the clients, employees, jobseekers - everyone.
@Megan correct, even I hate slow websites. I would rather go back if the website does not load quickly. Aesthetically pleasing and functional is of course as necessary as the speed. When the websites are pleasant, people easily remember them and don't miss a chance to come back. Thanks a lot for your opinion here
@Angel thanks a lot for your opinion here. Yes, we are living in the internet world and websites are important than ever before. The website talks of professionalism and the values of any organization. Thanks again for this valuable opinion.
@Pedro right! The main factor is speed. Anyone could leave the website rather than waiting for a couple of minutes while it loads. Of course, clean, easy to navigate and relevant websites are bliss for everyone. Thanks a lot for your opinion here Pedro.
@Asim H Thanks for your opinion here. Yes, clear design and value proposition are must for any website.
@Edgar yes, you are right. The websites must be clear, fast, representative and fully functional. And the information on websites must be correct whether it is about the organization itself or anything else. Thanks a lot for your opinion here.
@Prashant absolutely! Thanks a lot for your opinion here.
@Chris of course, the website needs to be clean and understandable easily. When the headlines and topics are straight forward, clean, it clearly helps the user/visitor to understand your product or services. Thanks a lot for your opinion here.
@Oneyda absolutely! Thanks a lot for your opinion here.
@Tony Definitely, speed, design, clarity, and presentation - all these are the most important factors give people an idea about a good brand. Yes, clarity in information and presentation could help them better to communicate with you.
@Robert That is right. Everyone needs a website to talk about their products or services. A professional and well-built website could help users to understand your business properly. Yes, contact information is an integral part of any website and e-commerce websites should help shoppers with easy shopping experience by making a simple, easy to navigate website. Thanks a lot for your opinion here.
@Christal thanks a lot for your opinion here. Indeed design and quality of information are essential for any web design.
@Kerry thank you for your opinion here. Website indeed is the first impression for any business. It has to grab the user's attention and keep them engaged. A user-friendly website helps to do this with easy navigation and easily understandable content.
@David absolutely! Thanks a lot for your opinion here.