Your website is the cornerstone of your digital presence and a key component that drives the success of your marketing, so it’s no wonder it can be a daunting process choosing the right team. Here are 5 things to consider when deciding which website development team to partner with.
1) Review their portfolio and their own website
The first step to determining if a web dev team is the ‘right’ one for you is to have a look at their previous work and their own website. Every team will have their own approach, tendencies and style - what do you think about their websites in general?
Was their website easy to find for relevant searches on Google?
Does their website, and the other websites they’ve built, look good and function well?
Can you easily find the relevant information that you need and want to find on their website and the other websites they’ve built?
2) Determine if they offer the services that you require
The next step is to determine exactly what services you will require from your website development team.
Do you need custom functionality?
Can what you need be achieved with a templated website?
Do you need to have ecommerce functionality on-site?
Will you need just the initial website build or do you require ongoing website maintenance and assistance?
3) Review their client testimonials and reviews
It’s always a great idea to find out how previous clients feel about the work of the agency. Read onsite reviews and testimonials, but make sure you dig deeper - generally agencies will only publish good reviews. See if you are able to find reviews that have not been screened by the agency first, such as on Google, if you do manage to find negative reviews, investigate how the development agency responded to them. Did they take the review seriously, and respond professionally?
4) How professional are they? Do they communicate well? Have developed structure and processes?
By this point you should have narrowed your list of potential agencies down to just a handful. It’s time to reach out to each of your shortlisted agencies to discuss your needs.
Are they professional and organised?
Do they have a clear process that they can share with you with regard to how their build process works?
The process of building a website requires structure and planning - if they are unable to clarify with you their processes and procedures at this point, then they will be unlikely to follow clear processes/procedures throughout the build, leaving you likely to face delays and frustration when development isn’t actioned in a timely manner or reworks are required due to poor record keeping.
5) Do they help you connect the website to your business objectives?
At the end of the day, your website isn’t a masterpiece for display in an art gallery, but it isn’t an extended monologue either. The role of the website (generally) is to engage the customer at the point of consideration, in order to connect them with a team member OR convert them through an e-commerce funnel. It can be hard to remember the priorities when designing a website - far too often all of the attention is given to the inconsequential details. Make it a priority to discuss how the team will help you build a website that empowers the business to grow and meet key objectives.
6) Do they understand your needs and leave you with a feeling of confidence?
The last thing that you will need to do is to explain exactly what you need from your website developer and determine whether you feel that they have:
- Understood what you require
- Have the skills, structure and process to deliver what you need
- Give you confidence that they are able to deliver your new website within the agreed timeframe
- Will hold you to account - as when building a website, one of the biggest risks is that you fail to provide your development team with what they need.
