If you’re online looking for a website designer, then you already know that having a beautiful, functional website is vital to your business. You’re likely grappling with where to find a great web designer and what it all entails. Finding the right web designer for your business isn’t always easy. But before you begin vetting a web design agency, you need to ask yourself a few questions first. Then, when you narrow down your search for the best local website design company in Charlotte, you will need to ask more questions.
Before You Begin Your Search for a Web Designer
Whether you need to have a new website designed, or you already have a website and are looking for an expert website design company in Charlotte to give your existing site a makeover for whatever reason, you need to ask yourself these questions. They may seem like common sense, but you really need to dig deep so that you will be able to convey your wants and needs to the web design company you decide to work with.
Do you understand the difference between a web designer and a web developer? Do you need one or both?
Too often businesses in the market for web design do not know the difference between design and development. Web design refers to how the website looks and its usability. Web development is what makes the website function. When someone needs a website built, they need a developer.
What do you need your website to do?
Are you selling a product(s), providing information, or both? If you are selling products, you will need a web design company experienced in e-commerce. If you’re providing information, you will need a blog. You will need a content management system or CMS. With the majority of web activity taking place on mobile devices, you will also need responsive web design.
What do you want your website to include?
If your website is an e-commerce site, you’ll obviously need a store. But will you need a blog? How many pages do you want your website to have? You will want to make sure you consider your Home, About, Contact, Product/Service, and maybe even a FAQ pages. Remember, your website is the virtual representation of your business and brand.
Do you have a look or style already in mind?
Have you come across a website that you really love and think your business would benefit from a similar design? It’s okay to scope out the competition’s website to see what you like about their site and what you don’t. Are you drawn to minimalist designs or modern? Browse around to see what you like.
What is your budget for a web design project?
Establishing a budget is very important. You will need to decide if you want your website to be designed from a customized template, that could cost up to $1,000 or a little more or if you want a custom web design that could cost between $5,000 and $10,000 or more.
When You Begin Your Search for a Web Designer
Now that you’ve asked yourself the hard questions and have worked out what it is you need, it’s time to search for your web designer—your partner. Not every website design company is the same, so asking the right questions will help you choose the best web design services for your company and brand. Here are the questions you need to ask when vetting a potential web designer as well as things to look for.
Can the website design agency perform the work you need from them?
Before you accept the price of a web designer you need to know whether or not they can do the work you need them to do. For example, if you have a website that is either unfinished or needs to be redesigned for whatever reason, the design agency you choose needs to be experienced in taking over unfinished projects or in redesigning existing websites. There are some website design agencies who will not work on websites that they did not build or design in-house. Keep that in mind.
Are they experienced?
An experienced web design company will be able to help you improve upon your design ideas by offering ideas of their own to help maximize the creation of a user-centered design. They will be able to provide responsive web design across multiple platforms so that your business’s website will be accessible to more people. You want to verify their credibility by checking out their certifications, recognition, and awards. You may also want to check out which platforms they are experienced in.
Does the web designer have a live portfolio?
To get a feel for the scope of work a website design agency is capable of, visit the websites that they have created for clients. They should have a portfolio of websites that are live. Visit them, play around with them to see how they function.
What do their customers/clients have to say about them?
All of the best web design services will include testimonials on their website. They will also be listed in and have client reviews in industry leading directories like UpCity, Clutch, and GoodFirms.
Which services do they offer in addition to web design?
Many, if not most advanced web design companies in Charlotte offer added-value services like SEO-friendly copywriting, HTML email template design, trackable metrics, and so much more.
Which services are included in the price?
There are too many horror stories that tell of business owners hiring a professional web designer only to find out later that they charge for content or to learn later that there is no content management system. Unfortunately, there are too many fly-by-night web designers who will offer cheap web design services but will later try to upsell the client services that should be part of the design. Before shelling out any money for web design, you need to know what all is included in their pricing model. You want to be prepared.Remember, pricing for web design services isn’t always cut and dry. You have to factor in a lot of variables. What’s important is that you plan ahead before accepting any price. Make sure you know what you want and ensure that the website design company you choose to work with can provide those services.
