01 Mar
There are two types of clients when it comes to Web Design, regardless if they’re aspiring entrepreneurs or companies:
- Ones that undermine the importance of a quality website
- Clients caught up in the surplus of Web Design offers
The common denominator is they usually lack the technical knowledge to make the right choice. We’ll try to clarify the process of Web Development, the necessary ingredients Your Web Agency should have and how to avoid mediocre solutions.
Weeding out the imposters
Along with CMS web platforms a lot of graphic design companies have jumped the bandwagon. Basically, they resell a template created for a specific purpose, put your logo on it and swap the original pictures. No actual web development skills are used in the process. We’d like to point out a few of the pitfalls of this process:
- Your website is generic with countless versions online
- Changes made to the original template are done the wrong way making it harder for Your website to be discovered through search engines
- These “web design” companies don’t care about security issues which might result in Your website marked as harmful and your business e-mail marked as spam
- If you ask for hosting advice, a shady agency will overcharge You and Your website will most likely experience downtime.
There are a few ways to mitigate risk when choosing a Web Agency. Remind your service provider that they are liable to a contract and any impact on your business stemming from their side will have legal implications (including deadlines). Check out their portfolio – no international clients is usually a distress signal.
What to look for in a credible Web Agency
Everyone wants their website to be visually appealing, and rightfully so. But that’s not the only factor when it comes to web design. The visuals are like the chassis of a car. When buying a car, you factor in the build quality, the brand reputation and last but not least – the durability. What a car company needs in terms of staff is mostly technical in nature – similar to a Web Agency. That is if you want your website to actually add value to your business.
The web development process kicks in when you establish communication and decide to go with the Web Agency you’ve picked.
Whether you’re clueless as to the finished project or you’ve got the general idea you should feel confident throughout the process. Usually, a client manager will mediate the process between you and the development team.
They will convey their services, while the business manager will calculate the pricing depending on your requirements.
In terms of services offered, you will get the following options:.
- Building a website on different platforms (Content Management Systems) the general consensus naming WordPress the CMS of choice, or having one built from scratch
- Having an original website or a template adapted to Your needs
- Creating an application for mobile platforms
- Custom add-ons to fit your requirements
- Branding (Logo design, images and text content)
- In case you have content, having it optimized for search engines (SEO)
- Web Site maintenance services (analytics, adding content, backups and making sure everything runs smoothly)
- Social media integration and management (this can be a headache, so We advise You go for consulting at the least)
- Payment Application Gateways in case of an online store
- Online marketing services
You should receive an estimate of the costs based on the complexity of your requirements. Building original websites, as well as mobile apps is a delicate and time-consuming process. It involves a lot of programming and a good coder. A Web Agency with a track record knows the responsibilities that this implies. Your project will be tested before it goes live to make sure no issues arise. The same goes for online stores. You will probably request your products to be placed online by the Web Agency. Custom add-ons might require acquiring licenses and customization. All this will be taken into account and you will be advised on choosing your hosting which might be due to an upgrade as you reach more traffic.
Both SEO and marketing services deliver results only if they’re done by professionals who will continuously analyze what your target group is and will be looking for new business opportunities according to your products or services. Branding should be an interactive process, as you’re the one who knows most about your business. Social media integration and management is a burden in its own right and someone who is focused solely on that task can save you time and money.
To sum it up every serious Web Agency has a team on premises and offers a wide range of services. As the range and quality of service they deliver grow it makes their work less stressful. That’s the only recipe for long-term success in this line of work.
