How to Select a Web Design Company

Fifteen years ago, finding someone to build you a website was the easy part – mainly because there were only a handful of people that actually could. Google was just getting started as a privately held company, and for the few people that did turn to the search engine to find services, the results were scarce.

Now, web design companies are as common as the websites they create.  Google returns more than 961 million results for the search term, but as most everything, those 961 million results aren’t created equally. And when you actually choose one from the pile – one that is likely ranked on the first page, if not in the top 3 results – your work has just gotten started.

Sure, a good ranking could help you make your decision, but if you just stop there, you’re getting a company who’s really good at SEO and maybe only partly good at the actual web design part. There are so many other things that should fall in the decision making because it’s not one that should be taken lightly.  This task is also probably handled by a marketing professional who is already overwhelmed with dozens of other “top” priorities.

So how do you know that the company you found in Google is the right company to be responsible for your online image?

Do you like their site? 

First impressions matter.  You wouldn’t go to a dentist you had terrible teeth, right? No, you wouldn’t. You are looking for someone to help you with your first impression, so you need to be impressed with theirs. Always remember a website is like a business card to the entire world, it shows the level of professionalism, design and commitment of the company.

Do you like their work?

Direct industry experience doesn’t matter — or, at least, shouldn’t matter as much. Even if they haven’t done a slew of sites in your direct industry, don’t discredit it. You know what you like, so what matters is seeing things you like in their portfolio. The work should stand on its own. But don’t let your self be deceived, a lot of companies clone others, so get someone to analyze the website to find out if it was truly made by them or if they outsourced to someone else. If that’s the case, go straight to the source, the cost will be lower and you will have full control over your website, you can also find if they offer more services that you might need.

Does their sales person know their stuff?

A sales person as we all know, will do anything and everything to get you to buy from them, they will tell you lies and they will put pressure on you to get them to buy from them, after all that’s what they do, they are good at selling but are they good at making websites?

Do they need to be the actual developer? YES, they should be able to understand your problems and be able to create a solution that can address those problems. It’s surprisingly easy to spot people who are just talk. Terms like Dominate the web , and be on the first page by pay per click are the most commonly used terms that people without knowledge use, a website should be easy to use, easy to love and easy to update, at least good websites are. If you’re not overly techy, try looping in your IT department so they can help you make some sense of it.

Do you believe their story?

It’s not that people actually try to deceive someone, but if you are having a conversation about your needs and their ability to deliver on those needs, you should just ask yourself simply, “Do I think that they are shooting me straight?”  If it’s timeline, budget, technologies, expertise, or whatever, the story needs to add up.  If you trust your gut, you will make the right decision.

Who does the work?

Sales people are great, but the designers and programmers are the ones actually building your website. Ask where they’re located and if they’re full-time or part-time. What you don’t want is to get into a relationship with a company whose employees are all contractors or working oversees because if there’s a problem with your site, you want it fixed now, not the next time they punch in. it’s been also known that companies that use “developers” from India, Pakistan and other similar countries have the poorest scores online, the appearance of the website is cheap and they all lack that “wow” effect that many users expect from a company, remember a website is your business card to the world, so doing it right it’s all that matters (unless you are not serious about your business)

Here at Canada Web Developer, we know our stuff, we have worked with Microsoft, Google, HP, etc… and portfolio speaks for itself, many of our customers are actually referrals from our customers, because we make it right, we make it look amazing , the price is right and we are extremely fast.

So if you are looking to upgrade your website or if it’s your first website, don’t hesitate and contact us, we are here to help.