Your website is equivalent to your business shop front. It is usually the first place customers interact with your business. For this reason, it is crucial that it gives a good first impression. It is estimated that as many as 48% of internet users consider a well-designed website the number one factor in assessing how credible a business is. In addition, visitors to your website will quickly disappear if it is slow to load, the content is difficult to read or the layout is unattractive. So how do you choose a web design company that will help increase the visibility of your brand by designing a website that is professional, attractive and performs well?
Here are 8 essential questions you need to ask them
1. Can I see other websites that you have designed
This will give you a good idea of how professional their websites look. You can also check out how quickly their websites load and how easy they are to navigate.
2. Are your websites designed for SEO
It is very important that your website is designed with search engines like Google in mind. Customers will only be able to find your website when searching if they are search engine optimised (SEO). This means images on your site will need to be optimised and important keywords will need to be visible in the content. Not all web design companies offer this service so you may have to factor in the cost of outsourcing this work to another company
3. Will my website perform well on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices
It is essential that your website performs well on all types of devices. Most web designers nowadays use a responsive website theme that will look good across all mobiles, laptops, ipads and PCs. However, it is still worth checking this out and making sure you know how your site will look.
4. Is all your work done in-house
This may seem an odd question but it can be worth asking. Building a website takes a lot of different skills and it is worth knowing if the company you are interested in have to outsource any of the work. Outsourcing in itself is not a problem but it can sometimes lead to delays which can delay the completion of your website.
5. Will you support my website when it is live
You may not think that you need this service but unfortunately, websites need to be maintained. Website themes, plugins and WordPress need to be updated on a regular basis. This keeps your website up-to-date with the latest functionality and helps stop it from being hacked. Check if this is something your web design company offers and if so how much it will cost.
6. Do you provide website hosting services
When it is live, your website will need to be stored on a hosting server. Many web design companies now offer this service. Even if you already have a hosting provider it might be worth comparing services and prices offered by the new web design company. They may be able to offer a better deal than the one you currently have.
7. Who will be able to update the content on my website
It is important that the content on your website is kept fresh and relevant. In the future, you may want to add a new page, change content, add new images or create a blog. Find out if the web design company will provide this service and if so, how much it will cost.
8. Do you provide domain name registration services
All websites need a domain name before they can go live. If you don’t already have one, find out if the web design company can check if the name you want is available and if they can register it for you.
