Your website is the handshake you give potential customers when they meet you online. It has to make them want to stay and start a conversation about your services.
How do you do that? With professional, responsive web design that makes navigation and messaging a breeze.
If you want to know how to choose a web design company that can build a high-converting SaaS website for you, keep reading.
TL;DR - How to Choose a Web Design Company
The short version of how to pick a web design company involves the following steps:
- Set Clear Goals: Know what you want so you know what to ask for.
- Research Companies: Look at many companies but only pick a few.
- Ask References: Don’t take their word for it; take their clients’ word.
- Evaluate Workflow: Understand their process and timelines.
- Understand Pricing: Get a detailed cost breakdown.
- Check Support Services: Make sure you get reliable after-launch support.
We will detail all these below.
Are you looking for a web design partner that guarantees results with a money-back policy? At Arch Web Design, we offer high-converting solutions tailored to your business and a money-back guarantee if we do not double your conversions. Contact our team and schedule a discovery call to discuss your project needs!
Role of a Professional Website Design Company
Professional companies understand that design is part of a larger context and must serve broader goals.
To deliver you a functional, well-optimized, high-converting website, they often take on multiple roles beyond design:
Traits of a Reliable Web Design Company
There’s nothing worse than wasting your time and resources with a company that can’t deliver what you need.
So, if you’re wondering how to choose a website design company that’s trustworthy and capable of providing quality work, look for the following key traits:
- Experience and Expertise: The best companies have dedicated teams with the necessary skills and experience in design, development, and UX. These pros are more likely to deliver high-quality work that meets your expectations.
- Strong Portfolio: The portfolio speaks volumes about a company’s design style, creativity, and experience in different industries. It should showcase previous work in great detail.
- Positive Client Testimonials and Reviews: Positive feedback shows reliability, professionalism, and client satisfaction. But don’t just look for testimonials on their website - check third-party review sites too.
- Clear Communication: Good communication means the company can understand and meet your needs and expectations, avoiding misunderstandings. There should be clear, prompt communication throughout the entire process.
- Strong Technical Skills: Without tech expertise, you can’t count on getting a website that is functional, secure, and optimized for performance. Ideally, you want a company proficient in various web technologies and tools.
- Customized Solutions: Custom solutions align your website with your brand and business goals. They should offer tailored solutions based on your needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
- Ongoing Support and Maintenance: Continuous support helps keep your website updated, secure, and running smoothly. If the company stands by its designs, it should offer support and maintenance services after launching the website.
- Comprehensive Services: A full-service company can handle all aspects of your website, ensuring consistency and saving you time. The best companies provide services from design and development to fixing common SEO mistakes and offering content support.
Choosing a web design company is a big decision that is critical for your business’s success. With Arch Web Design, you can trust that all these traits are met and exceeded. Let us prove it to you with a complimentary strategy session.
Book your free call today and find out how dedicated we are to delivering you a customized, high-quality website tailored to your needs.
Questions to Ask a Web Designer
When choosing a design service, some questions about their portfolio, customer recommendations, and project timeline are apparent. Still, you should get clarity on some less obvious, equally important questions.
These can help you anticipate if the web design company truly understands your vision, meets your needs, and can deliver a high-quality, functional website.
Here they are, in no particular order:
“What is Your Design Process?”
Hearing about their process shows you how they work, including timelines, communication, and how they handle revisions.
It should also tell you if their designs will be tailored to your brand or if they rely on pre-made templates, which might only partially meet your needs.
“How Do You Handle Revisions and Feedback?”
This question helps you understand how flexible they are with changes and how they incorporate your feedback into the design process.
“What is Included in Your Pricing?”
Clarifying pricing helps avoid unexpected costs. Ask if the quote includes design, development, testing, SEO, revisions, and ongoing maintenance.
“What Happens if the Project Exceeds Budget or Takes Longer Than Expected?”
The answer to this question will reveal their approach to handling potential issues and managing expectations.
“What Content Management System (CMS) Do You Recommend and Why?”
The CMS choice impacts your ability to update the site and integrate other tools.
You want to know their recommendation to understand if it fits your needs and if you’ll find it easy to make changes or add content after launch.
“How Do You Ensure the Website’s Security?”
Security is crucial to protect your website from hacks and breaches. This question should indicate their approach to keeping your site secure.
“How Do You Handle Content Creation?”
If they help with content, this question clarifies how much they will assist and if they align with your content needs.
“How Will You Measure My Website’s Success?”
Understanding their approach to measuring success (e.g., traffic, conversions, user engagement) is a subtle way to determine if they focus on your business goals.
“What Happens If I need Changes After My Website is Live?”
Post-launch support is vital for updates, security, and troubleshooting. That’s why you must understand their process and costs for post-launch changes.
How to Choose a Web Design Company
Before partnering with a web design team, you must do more than assess their traits. You need to determine if their capabilities align with your specific needs, if they can deliver on their promises, and if the working relationship will be smooth.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you choose the right web design company:
1. Define Your Goals and Requirements
First, outline what you need from your website. Are you looking for e-commerce functionality, a blog, a portfolio site, or something else?
Equally important, determine your goals. Do you want to generate leads, increase sales, or showcase your work?
2. Research and Shortlist Potential Companies
Search for companies that have experience in your industry or with similar project scopes.
Use online directories, referrals, and reviews to compile a list of potential candidates.
3. Ask for References and Case Studies
Ask for references from past clients and contact them to get firsthand feedback.
You can also request detailed case studies of similar projects and, when reviewing their work, see if they match your vision.
Very important, go beyond just looking at the aesthetics. Try to spot how well the websites function, how they address user needs, and how they align with goals similar to yours.
4. Check their Process and Workflow
Ask about their team, roles, and their design and development process, including how they handle project management, timelines, and client collaboration.
5. Understand their Pricing Structure
Ask for a detailed proposal that outlines the costs, including any additional fees that might arise. Compare this with your budget to avoid surprises and estimate if you’re getting enough value for your investment.
6. Clarify the Post-Launch Support
Discuss the post-launch services like maintenance, updates, and technical support. See what’s included in their packages and what might come with additional costs to keep your website secure, up-to-date, and fully functional after it goes live.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some FAQs whose answers will help you feel more confident about how to choose a web design company:
How Can I Evaluate the Portfolio of a Web Design Company?
Check the design quality, functionality, and how well their past work aligns with your vision. Look for diversity in projects and see if they have experience handling requirements similar to yours.
At Arch Web Design, we don’t shy away from sharing our portfolio of websites. You can see our case studies with snapshots of each website’s main pages and how they display on different devices.
How Important is Industry Experience when Selecting a Web Design Company?
Industry experience is crucial if your project requires specific knowledge or compliance. A company familiar with your industry better understands your audience and challenges, offering you a more effective website design.
For example, with our specialization in SaaS websites and over 200 successful projects, we have the expertise to double your revenue with the websites we create — a level of insight that only comes from proven experience.
Should I Consider the Size of the Web Design Company for My Project?
Company size can influence resources, attention, and costs. Larger companies may offer more services but often at a higher price. Smaller firms might provide more personalized attention with potentially lower costs.
At Arch Web Design, we do our best to combine a broader range of services with personalized attention and decent prices.
How Do I Assess the Communication Skills of a Web Design Company?
Effective communication from your first interactions can indicate a smooth collab throughout the project. Pay attention to their responsiveness, clarity in answering questions, and how well they listen to your needs.
