Choosing a web design team can be overwhelming. Your website is one of the most important aspects of your brand identity, so it's important to choose right. But how can you evaluate the sweeping claims many agencies make? Luckily, there are a few criteria you can use to vet each candidate.
1. They Demonstrate a Strategic Approach
The team you hire should be able to describe, in detail, the strategic design strategy they will use to create your website. Don't accept generic or haphazard responses. After all, if they can't answer this simple question with a proven approach, how can you trust them to meet your goals and timeline?
2. They Listen to Your Ideas & Contribute Their Own
First and foremost, your design agency should listen to your ideas. You know your business the best, and a good designer will take your vision into account as one of the most important factors. At the same time, a good web developer will augment your ideas with their own. If they instead seem dismissive or unenthused, consider looking elsewhere.
3. They Are Goal-Oriented
As a business professional, you know the importance of setting goals. Your developers should offer this same focus, working with you to define and monitor realistic objectives for your website. These goals should be grounded in your company's unique vision while still being achievable.
4. They Help You Select a CMS
Your content management system (CMS) defines how you update content and work with your website internally once the design is done. Your developers will help you find a CMS that not only meets your needs but is scalable, search engine friendly, and easy to manage. A good web developer should also design with the limitations of your CMS in mind and yet taking advantage of its strengths. Failure to do so can lead to a cumbersome integration process, at best, and rebuild at worst.
5. They Understand Conversions
The ideal development firm not only employs marketing experts but also integrates core marketing principles into everything they do. Every element of your website should work in tandem to drive conversions, and it's crucial that your web developers have the experience to make that happen.
6. They Have Experience Across Industries
While it may seem counterintuitive, it's often not a good idea to hire developers that specialize in your industry alone. Many such agencies get stuck in design ruts, churning out websites that look very similar to one another. Instead, look for a development team that has a broad base of experience from which to create a genuinely unique design.
7. They Exude Good Team Chemistry
You likely wouldn't hire someone that's hard to get along with, so why would you hire a development team with the same flaw? You'll be working with these designers for weeks or months, so you should try to read early whether they have good team chemistry (both among themselves and with your company's decision-makers).
8. They Practice What They Preach
It's easy to brag about best practices without putting them into practice with clients. Critically evaluate the evidence that your development team doesn't fall into this trap. Is their portfolio solid? Do they have multiple, shining testimonials? If not, they may not be as credible as they'd lead you to believe.
Neon Rain Fits the Bill
If you're in the market for a reputable website development agency, we're confident that you'll find Neon Rain satisfies each of these criteria. We're ready to work with you, so give us a call at 303-957-3092.