When you need a new website for your company, who you choose for a web design partner is key to determining a successful outcome. Therefore, it is critical to select a web design company that has the skill and capability to understand your vision and seamlessly deploy a website strategy. It is also necessary to be aware of some common mistakes that can occur when interviewing web designers.
In this blog, Woland Web outlines five mistakes you should avoid when choosing a web design company for your next website project.
Key Mistakes When Selecting a Web Designer
- The designer asks to be paid up front. This is a major red flag and an obvious cause for concern. A reputable web designer will likely ask for a deposit with the balance to be paid upon completion or in accordance with a schedule, i.e., after certain milestones are met or deliverables are provided. If a web design company asks for the whole lump sum prior to any work being done, head in the other direction.
- The company is hesitant or unable to offer referrals. Any high-quality web design company is going to be eager to provide you with satisfied clients who are willing to talk to you about their experience—and you should insist upon it. Reading testimonials on a website isn’t sufficient. Why? Because verification is also needed to ensure this web designer can actually produce the results they are promising.
- The company offshores the work—to non-English speakers. Some web design companies will hire coders located in China or India in an attempt to keep costs low and profit margins high. However, this is an issue because a coder who does not speak English fluently will be working in an unfamiliar language—and since website code is written in English, the potential for problems, and security issues, is considerable. After all, think of the challenges you would face if you tried to assemble a product using instructions that were written in a different language. The same holds true here. Therefore, ask about this during the interview process—and potentially insist on talent that is based in the United States.
- The company offers a deal too good to be true. Before seeking out a web design partner, you should be educated regarding general and average website rates. The adage, “you get what you pay for” is certainly true here—and if a web designer is offering a deal on a new site that feels unbelievable, that’s likely because it is. Web design is intensive, detail-oriented work, and a reputable company is going to have costs that are aligned with industry standards as well as their experience level. What’s more is that a good designer will know how to properly price out your site from the get-go, will not advertise bargain basement deals, and will be upfront about how pricing is established, with no hidden fees.
- The company has no background in digital/content marketing, SEO, branding, eCommerce, and the like. At the end of the day, a web design company must not only be able to create a website that is visually appealing, but they also need to ensure that the site will convert and rank well on Google and other search engines. Print design and website design are two different disciplines and follow different rules. Your website designer should have a proven track record of past work that utilizes web best practices, search engine optimization, and other digital marketing techniques that are critical to your site being found by your targeted audience and acting as your 24/7 salesperson.
Woland Web Designs Best-in-Class Websites
Of course, these five mistakes are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg and there are other questions to ask of any web design company you may be considering. It is important to inquire about the level of control you will have over your site when it is finished. The correct answer is total control. You’ll also want to verify the company can maintain and update the site for you, it will display responsively on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, and much more.
Here at Woland Web, our team is passionate about ensuring transparency, high-quality communication, and expert consultation on every website design project we engage in. We would love the opportunity to speak with you about our process and how we are different from our competitors. Reach out and schedule a consultation today—we are looking forward to talking with you about your needs and goals.
