There are a lot of factors that go into choosing the right website design and development company. At least, there should be! With a little tech savvy, anyone can just throw together a website for you. That includes that guy down the street. It sounds tempting because his price sounds better than the professional web development company who does this full time. However, there are no maintenance packages that guy discussed with you, no hosting plans, and what happens if your website goes down? Will he handle that for you or is that something you need to spend hours on with the hosting company? Did that guy master the ins and outs of SEO or will he just throw together your website and it’s not even built for search engine ranking? What about that other company you met with, do they handle SEO for you or will they charge a monthly or quarterly fee for this? Like we mentioned, there are a lot of factors that go into choosing the right web design company, and it’s important to ask the right questions when selecting one.
Most of our clients who come to us, come to us for a re-design because they either don’t like their website, it’s not responsive, or they aren’t ranking well on search engines. As opposed to building a brand new website because they don’t have one yet. Why is this? Because when starting a new business, most business owners are tight on cash, so they tried that guy down the street, or the person who does it as a side job for some extra income. There’s a saying you may be familiar with: You get what you pay for. While this can be true, we also hear that some of our clients just flat out got ripped off. Don’t let that happen to you! Here’s some tips for choosing the right web design and development company.
Do Your Research
If you’re reading this article, you’re already pointed in the right direction for doing your research. Do you already have a website design & development company in mind? Start your research there. Look at their reviews on Google Reviews and their Facebook page, maybe even Yelp! If you find out they have more negative reviews than positive reviews, that should be a red flag. Most companies will get that negative review every once in a while, but it shouldn’t out weigh the positive reviews. For example, a lot of web design companies are quick to take your money and can throw up a website for you, but how is their support? How will this company treat you after you paid and your website is up and running? This is what most clients run into, is poor customer support.
Next, you will want to research the websites they have built. This is another issue our clients have run into before they decided to go with BPetersonDesign. They went with the person who does it as a side job because their prices sounded better, but didn’t like the look of their new website. They found a few websites afterwards this same company/person has built, and they don’t like any of the designs they developed. Turns out none of the websites are mobile-friendly or responsive, their copyright is out of date, and there is no valuable content or SEO… just a lot of images!
Are they Guaranteeing you placement on the first page of Google Search Results?
This is a big one to us, because 1 of 2 things are happening if a website design or digital marketing company is guaranteeing you results on Google.
- They are lying to you
- They don’t know how search engines work
Either way, if a company guarantees you exceptional results on Google, then there is a red flag. Read our blog article on You’re Being Lied To: “We Can Put You on the First Page of Google!” to find out why this should be a red flag and why it’s a scam.
Go Ahead, Ask Questions!
Schedule an initial consultation once you decide on a web development company. Make a list of all your questions to ask during the meeting. Don’t hold back, this is your money and a business investment. A web design company should be able to answer your questions in simple terms for you to understand. Don’t let them talk over your head, and don’t be afraid to ask them to explain it in simpler terms. If they can’t, then that should be another red flag. If someone can’t explain something to you in simple terms, then this shows they most likely don’t fully understand it themselves. However, if they are able to answer all your questions in simple terms and don’t try to talk over your head, then it’s a great sign you found a great web design company for your business investment. This will allow you to leave feeling satisfied, and like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders!
Contact BPetersonDesign to discuss your new website design and see if we’re a good fit for each other. We design websites for clients located all over the United States, not just local customers.
