Your website is the online face of your business and will be the first point of contact for many of your potential customers. It only makes sense to make a great first impression!

There are plenty of fish in the sea when it comes to website designing. Your options range from freelancers to cookie cutter generic template sites to high end website design companies and everything in between.

In today’s day and age there is no excuse for having a mediocre online presence, given the ever growing role websites play in the way we do business. Having said that, the web design agency you hire may make or break your business.

We have listed down a few pointers for you to keep in mind before you start with your next website design or redesign process.

Know What You Want

While it’s best to leave some things to the experts, “Do whatever you think will get the best results” will doom your business. You need to sit down and clearly outline exactly what you want out of your website. Will it be primarily for selling your products or are you trying to establish trust by building an online community?

When you have a clear picture of what your goals are, you can go ahead with the technicalities. Will your website need mobile optimization or integration with other platforms? Do you need lot of backlinks and high visibility? When you have dictated these aspects, a good agency can provide valuable ideas and insights.

Are they Accessible?

Web design and development requires a lot of collaboration. Bad communication is an immediate red flag and can spell big troubles in the future.

You need to work with a company that is easy to get hold of and keeps communication channels open. There should be clear and easy flow of ideas and both parties should be available to each other at all times.

Can they meet your budget requirements?

While you have to be willing to make a good investment into your website, you don’t have to be shelling out exorbitant amounts for a decent website either. Never be coy about your budget. A custom website’s price tag can vary hugely depending on various factors.

It is therefore a good practice to be open and upfront about your budget during negotiations, before finalizing on an agency. The right agency for you will provide you good service within the budget, limitations, time frames and up to the expectations, as clearly mentioned and agreed upon.

Go the Distance

Website building is not a one-time thing.  It needs constant optimizations and regular updates to keep up with the changing consumer preferences. A great web design company not only creates an effective website but also helps to achieve your core business goals over time.

If you look over an agency’s portfolio and go through their testimonials, you can see whether they have been able to help their clients achieve this. You can find out whether they are here to just make sales or to form strong, ongoing relationships.

Selection of a web development agency requires you to dig deep and find someone who can add value to your brand and business. Choose someone you will enjoy working with.