What to Look for in a Web Development Firm: 10 Things to Consider

 Custom web development can be a lucrative business especially since it is a hard task to master. That is why many custom web development agencies are popping out of the woodworks. They offer a lot of different specialties, packages and prices. With all these agencies available, it can be hard for business owners to choose one to customize their website.

Not all agencies will be a good fit for everyone, so you have to choose carefully to make sure that you pick the perfect team to help you achieve your objectives. Picking a web development company might depend on what you want to attain with your website. Because there are agencies that specializes in increased conversions or increased visitors; if those are your goals.

If you are thinking of getting a web developer, here are the top 10 things that you should consider to make sure that they are the perfect fit.

Price

Price is a very important factor especially if you’re a startup. When you are just starting a business, you might not have a large enough budget to get the top custom web development agencies. On the other hand, if you’re already established, then you might have more money to allocate for the development of your website.

Price will depend on what you can afford, doing research will yield results of agencies that you can afford but also offer amazing results. Cheap does not always mean that the web development firm’s work is also subpar. Read a lot of custom web development agency reviews to know which agencies offer low price for a top performance.

According to Executionists, in 2016, a simple informational website with no internet marketing can cost from $7000 up to $10,000. While a mid-size site with internet marketing can cost up to $40,000.

Goals

When you create a website, it is because you want to achieve something. Whether you want to increase your sales or you just want to have more subscribers or perhaps you just want visitors to your site. No matter what your goal is, it is important that the web development agency you will get will help you achieve those goals. How will you know if they can help you achieve your objectives? Check their previous clients and see if the company has helped them in achieving their targeted goals.

One of the most common reasons why businessmen get websites is that it helps vastly with business marketing strategy. Not all development companies are well versed in marketing, so be sure to pick one that will be in line with what you want to do. If that is to market your products, then pick an agency that has experience with internet marketing. You can read custom web development agency reviews to know about these things.

Portfolio

Looking at the agencies’ portfolio will tell a great deal of information about that particular company. You will be able to tell if they are worth the amount they are charging, if they are meeting their clients’ goals and what they are capable of doing and accomplishing.

Looking at their previous work will tell you if you like the way they do things and if it fits with what you are looking for. Be aware of all the things, even the small details like how do they match the colors in their web designs and what typography they use. These are details that are important to viewers that some agencies might overlook. Practical Ecommerce talks about six things that you should look for in a web development company’s portfolio.

Partnership

Partnership is the company’s willingness to listen to your suggestions. Web development may be primarily the work of the development team but that does not mean that you won’t get a say in anything that will be done. The design and prototype has to be approved by the client first before the development agency goes ahead and implement it.

Another thing about partnership that you should consider is the company’s ability to explain how the development process will go. Especially if you have no idea what goes on in web development, they should be patient enough to tell you what you are hiring them for. This is so you know what to scrap and what to approve. If they convince you of everything they want to do without informing and letting you decide on some, then you might find the website unsatisfactory. This will lessen the company’s value and your trust in them.

Time

How much time is needed from the client by the development agency? This will all depend on how quick the development team can work. If they can come up with the design and the prototype immediately then you could also approve it quickly. If they take too long, then you will spend more time waiting.

Another thing that might consume time is the writing of the content for your site. Some top custom web development agencies offer writing services with their packages, but for others you have to write it yourself or hire a different writer.

Timeline

Web development is not an easy process and requires time; sometimes it can take up to months for the whole process to be done. There really isn’t a standard timeframe for the whole process. It will depend on a lot of things like how many people are working on the project, how elaborate the project is and how many marketing platforms will be integrated.

The time frame will come from the custom web development agencies, so ask the before signing up. It is best not to rush the development process because you want the best website for your business. A poorly done site can spell disasters for your online business.

Team

Web development companies have more than one team working on a project. There are the web developers, the web designers, the content writers, the SEO specialists and many more people working in the background. With that many people working, who will be your main contact person? Who will you talk to if you want an update on your site?

It is better to meet the teams and your main contact in person to gauge their sincerity and truthfulness. Or you wouldn’t have to meet the entire team; the important person you have to meet is your main contact. He or she can tell you all about what will happen, when you can expect the project to be done, who will be doing the project, will it be outsourced or done within the company. And if the project is delayed, you know the person you can hound for a progress report.

Style

There are many different styles when it comes to websites. There are minimalists and there are bold and shiny. The web design can make a great impact on the business’ brand and marketing initiatives; which is why it is very important that you know the style of the development team you are hiring. It has to jive with your business. If you own a beauty salon, then bright and bold might be the way to go. But if you own a private investigation company, then something minimalist might be better.

Talk with the agency what they think the best approach for the web design is and you could decide depending on what they say. Pick agencies that are innovative and can bring new ideas to the table.

Size

Size can be about the web development agency. How many people are working for the company? How many projects are they taking on at this time? Can they handle all the projects that are coming in and will they have the manpower to take another?

It could also mean the size of your website. As was mentioned above, a simple website differs in pricing with middle ecommerce sites. The way they are done and the people involved will also vary depending on the size of the site. The bigger your business is, the more elaborate the site that has to be done is.

Although, it doesn’t mean that if you own a big business, you also need to get a big development agency. There are small web developers that can handle big accounts just as well.

Package

Packages include everything from designing to coding. There are agencies that will offer packages at a discounted price so you might want to go for something like this. There are other agencies that will offer specific services like web designing or coding. It might be more expensive if you get different services from different companies. So you can do a search on the packages that agencies’ offer to know which ones offer the best deals.

In the world of commerce, businesses die if they don’t keep up with the changes. That includes setting up a website for your business. It is important to establish on online presence, especially since most if not all of your competition already has established theirs. You can set up your own website but you could also hire professionals to do it. Refer to the list above to know the things you should consider when choosing a web development firm.

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