How to Choose a Web Design Company [If You’ve Never Dealt With Design Teams Before]

94% of first impressions are due to web designs. So, you need to have an aesthetically pleasing website that arrests the attention instantly.

It should be at the helm of your thoughts when looking for a professional team to build your website. But the internet is inundated with web design and development companies.

So, you may ask, “how to choose a web design company amidst so many?”

Your confusion is understandable. Not every company is a right for everyone. You should be cautious. The decision is difficult. So, do some homework first, know what you want and how you want it to be.

Here is an actionable guide to help you in your endeavor.

Before You Choose an Agency

First, Define Your Goals

The answer to how to choose a web design agency lies mainly in your goals. With an average user taking only 0.05 milliseconds to decide, you cannot leave it on the design agency.

Have a vision for your product – mainly the look and function.

For instance, you want static content. Getting into too many technicalities is useless. Or maybe you want an integrated Content Management System (CMS) or have selected payment options and security levels.

What to have or not have should be clear to you first before the design company takes over the task.

Be a little more informed and read about your end goal. See how your potential partner adds his expertise to the picture you have created. And don’t forget to share your additional design or branding needs, such as a new logo or new imagery.

This is even more important when software is built from scratch.

Example 1: Build a Web App with User-Friendly UX

Poor performance, low accessibility, and design failures can ruin the user experience. A sure shot way to overcome this problem is to build a web app with user-friendly UX.

So, how to choose a website design company that focuses on user-friendliness? It’s simple. Make sure they include the following elements in the app design process.

What to do?	Why?
Use similar patterns	The user need not learn a new pattern each time they move to a new device. Use colors, icons, and placing just like in some popular apps around. Make the workflow easy to learn and grasp.
Group related elements	Users should find them easily. For example, place profile, settings, log out, switch accounts closer together.
Limit features	Every new feature is a new way to confuse the user. Think before adding further complexity. Ask yourself, “Is it required?”
Plan project blueprint	Making alterations in later stages is difficult. So, plan everything ahead.
Focus on target users	Design it for your user base. Just think of it, if the Git interface were designed for non-tech people, it would have created chaos. So, isn’t it better how it is?

Example 2: Build Inbound Marketing with a Corporate Website

An effective inbound marketing strategy allows content discovery which drives customers to the corporate website and converts them. (Check our development guide about such websites)

As it is, 60 % of marketers feel that inbound marketing is their best bet for quality leads.

You can achieve these funnel goals with some elements in the design, information architecture, and website development.

You will overcome your worries about how to choose a website design company if you implement the following strategies.

Build buyer persona	Vital to understand who are your target audience: Their aspirations & how you can make them achieve them. Their worries & how you can resolve them Their preferred tone of voice for better communication
Set objectives	Identify your goal and set a deadline. Assess your website. Look for parameters such as: Unique website visitors/month Click on specific CTA Forms filled (no. of times) Inbound leads/month Website traffic sources All these KPIs decide your revenue and sales (a big reason to set website objectives).
Outline marketing triggers	Identify the pain points of the customers. Offer relevant content, when in need. Understand the triggers, create content accordingly. Know barriers of action and offer solutions accordingly.
Align your efforts with Buyer’s Journey	Some statistics to understand the buyer’s journey: 19% of buyers talk to a salesperson in the awareness stage. It rises to 60% in the consideration stage. Streamline your business efforts accordingly.
Blogging	A blogging strategy with a focus on conversions attracts the targeted audience. Hubspot states companies that increase blogging rates from 3-5/month to 6-8/month gain double the leads.
Design lead nurturing process	Automate lead generating process. Use automated emails, retargeted advertising. Deliver the content via a funnel.
Build a team	You will require experts in inbound marketing, design, data analysis/web analytics, SEO, PPC, SMM, project management, blogging, and copywriting.

Here is our own story.

After marketing for many clients, we at SpdLoad decided to do the same for us. We knew that software development is an expensive niche, we decided to start with SEO.

How did we implement it? We decided to share our expertise in a story form, and most of it has worked for us so far. Check the entire process here.

Example 3: Redesign Existing Website or Product?

As a criterion, you should redesign your app every 2-3 years. But how often should you go for a revamp that has no specific answer? As long as it is profitable, you should.

Remember 75% of web credibility is due to website design.

Ask yourself:

1. Is the website design helping you build authority?
2. Is the website user-friendly?
3. Does it carry the latest design features and trends?
4. Is it helping you deliver business objectives?
5. Looking at other websites, do you feel it is outdated?

Answers to the above helped us redesign our website, spdload.com. The team followed the same procedure as the clients: research the market, define pain points, and thus aced the solution. It helped us to significantly improve website UX.

Also, when you are thinking of how to choose a web design company, consider the procedure. The extent of reworking establishes the redesigning cost.

The Different Goals Define Different Requirements to Choose a Vendor

I have different requirements than ABC. How to choose a web design agency then? Analyze the capabilities of the UX and marketing department first.

Example 1: You Need a Strong UX Department

Your number one requirement is a solid and powerful UX department.

But, before that, please understand that UX comprises three parts: User Experience (UX) design, User Interface (UI) design, and UX research.

An effective UX team comprises of primarily the following:

• Interaction designer
• UX Copywriting
• Information Architect
• Content Strategist
• Visual design/Illustrations
• Design OPS
• Audio Designer

And the team only grows bigger and bigger with the developers entering the picture. So, share all information (even the minutest) with the developers right from the word go.

Now the question comes forth, “how to choose a website design company with such gems?”

Of all the online platforms, here is a list of our top 3.

Behance	“Curated Galleries” is the place to look for different designers across the creative field.
Dribbble	Explore this platform for designers who get inspired and hired.

Example 2: You Need a Strong Marketing Department

The sole purpose of a marketing team is to drive customer action. Besides, there are other important roles too. So, pay attention to building your marketing department.

Make sure they are capable of:

1. Voicing your business story.
2. Making customers into brand advocates.
3. Promoting products and more.

Remember, the role of marketing manifolds many times in the case of startups.

Now, who all should comprise the team? To begin with, it depends on your niche and your company. But, mostly, it should include the following:

• Marketing Head
• Team Leads
• Project Managers
• Designers
• Content strategists
• Writers
• Analysts
• PR Specialist
• Digital Marketing

In addition, advanced marketing may require the following:

Demand generation	Build demand for your product or a product category.
Automation specialists	Use advanced platforms such as Autopilot and Salesforce.
Marketing operations	A combination of resource allocation and project management is needed to manage data, technology, and resources.

Now, as we know what you need to look for while choosing a design agency, it is time to know how to verify the chosen company.

How to Choose a Web Design Agency?

We have arrived at the last part of our quest. We now have an idea of how to choose a web design company. But before hiring, there are a few penultimate things you must perform to verify.

Criterion 1: Check Portfolio

Look everywhere

If you decide to outsource your web design, glance over their portfolio. Most agencies have a dedicated website with a portfolio section where you can see their previous work. You can check Google, listings, social media, etc. It helps evaluate their skills, capabilities, and also limitations. While assessing, look for the following: Do the developed websites look professional? Are the websites showcasing similar scope as yours? Do they incorporate the latest trends? Do these websites have similar functionalities and features you are eyeing for? Have they won awards for their website or website designing?

What are important things?

You may doubt how to choose a website design company only based on their portfolio. No, we are not saying that. Apart from the portfolio, there are other things vital for picking a design company. An attractive and modern design Rightly so. Can you choose a web design company that has an outdated design for its website? We know an attractive design is what intrigues a user compelling him to explore more. Outdated designs lead to the loss of a number of customers and their engagement. Color simulation should hold the attention. Make sure it reflects their business ethos. Don’t forget that the first impression is the last. The beautiful design makes it an instant attention seeker, yet looks so unique and in sync with time. A modern website design makes a website look professional and clean and helps you stay neck-to-neck with your competition. One can see one of the finest illustrations of modern design in Jingqi Fans’ online portfolio. While the asymmetric design makes it fresh and engaging, the minimal design and white space showcase his project images and thus serve the website’s purpose. Design of case studies/landings/products How to choose a web design company by scrutinizing their website? It is simple. Look how they are presenting their content. How have they laid out the case studies, or the landing pages, or the product (whatever is applicable)? Then, have a closer look at the design. Does it hold your attention? It should be user-friendly, attractive, with good UX. The hierarchical arrangement of the pages should make some sense. In short, the information hierarchy from the main menu to the subcategories and subpages should be smooth and understandable. Customer-centered сompany Would you ever like to work with a company that stresses more on their working style instead of how you would want it? Decide otherwise. Check their approach to deliver as per the client’s demand. Your concern about how to choose a website design company will find some peace here. A study by Deloitte and Touche found out that companies with a customer-centric approach earned 60% more than the companies that did not. Companies that are customer-centered focus more on delivering a positive customer experience at all stages of making sales. However, it is not limited to the experience felt by the customers. Look at Adobe. The company offers a great work ethos making it one of the best places to work and encourages feedback from customers who visit them.

Criterion 2: Check Social Proof

Choose a software development partner after checking their social proof. The proof can include reviews and testimonials. This is believed that the comment is coming from a real person outside of close personal or professional relationships.

Thus hold great significance. Also, these proofs should contain names and addresses.

Some other types of social proofs include case studies, social media, trust icons, data with numbers. Yet another innovative social proofs visible these days include:

1. Storytelling social proof
2. Implied social proof
3. Activity social proof

Lastly, the more the number, the better it is, and the more trustworthy the website is. You may even ask for direct contacts.

Key Criterion: Schedule an Interview

Note that several outsourcing companies are owned by a single person. They then outsource the content further. Sometimes, it is a group of freelancers who bid for the work.

Keeping in mind the above scenarios, it is always good to ask the team for a meetup. This will introduce you to the people who will handle your work.

You can observe their communication and coordination with each other and you. Their availability and remote locations, etc.

This will give a clear idea of their working style while clearing all your doubts.

Interested in Finding a Top-Notch Web Design Company?

Maybe you are a startup looking for an idea validation or a founder looking for a SaaS product – check how can we help you realize your dream in real-time by contacting us.

Also, we’d be happy to share our case studies.

Find a Reliable Web Agency

We design and develop websites and web applications, that bring value to customers, and change the way people think and act. Check our case studies with in-depth details what makes us the best choice.

To Portfolio

Otherwise, feel free to check our development guides to find out more about the web design and development process:

1. How to outsource web design? The ultimate guide in web design outsourcing from A to Z.
2. How much does it cost to build a website from scratch? The in-depth overview of the development process and cost for different types of websites and web apps.
3. How much does it cost to build a website for a small business? The complex guide in corporate website development (with case study).
4. How much does it cost to revamp the existing website? The ultimate guide about the process of redesign with an overview of costs.
5. How long does it take to develop a website? Overview of all factors, that influence the timeline of website creation.
6. How much does it cost to design a website? The in-depth look at factors, challenges, and steps, that define the cost of web design.