WEB DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
How To Find The Best Web Development Agency
There are probably dozens of web agencies in your zip code alone. There are more in the entire state. So how do you find the best web development agency?
Website development agencies are cropping up everywhere. And for good reason! There are so many startups that need to put up websites in order to be competitive. In this day and age, having the right products and services will not be enough for a business to survive. Online presence has become integral in business survival as well as company success.
So if there are a lot of agencies out there, how do you find the best web development agency?
1. Check out the website of the web development agency
Surely, if an agency is in the business of web development, it should have a great website. So if you are looking for a website development company, you have to set your sights on a few of them. You have to window-shop first, before you decide to buy. Checking out the websites of a few firms would be your way of window shopping.
If you are shopping for a firm, then chances are you are not really an expert when it comes to websites. It would be in your best interest if you tap a few friends who know websites and technology. Go window shopping with them.
Ask your tech-savvy friends for pointers on what you should look for in a website. Create a checklist out of that. Then when you start window shopping with these friends, you have a sort-of report card for the websites that you have seen. This way, if you are eyeing a number of firms, you can narrow the pool down. You can have a top five agencies or a top three.
2. Meet with your shortlisted firms
Now that you have a short list of web development companies that you could potentially hire to create your website, you could narrow the list further. One way to do that is to get in touch with them and maybe ask them to submit a proposal to you. Better yet, invite them to a meeting and let them bring their proposal with them.
A really crafty web development firm would never show up with just a paper proposal. There has to be a visual or digital presentation of what they plan to develop your website and how they want to make it stand out. The presentation will give you a glimpse of how the web app development agency will deal with your needs and wants.
The meeting is going to be important because having a website is not just about having a beautiful page for your company. It is also about how a web development company will answer your questions. In other words, it is not just about your digital needs but also about all your professional needs.
This is also a great time to ask about the firm's portfolio. Another professional need that you should think about is social media. A web development agency might be an expert in social media concerns, too.
3. Surf the agency's social media activities
A web development agency without social media is not a great one. Social media has become an important part of business. Social media is mostly free and every business should take advantage of that. But in the hands of professionals, social media activities could help a business succeed.
Just as you window shopped for web firms through their websites, do the same with every agency's social media accounts. The more important platforms to look for are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. For now, Facebook is the most important social media platform because of the expansive coverage. But it has a different niche and you have to consider that too.
Surf through the agency's social media accounts and see if the agency is actually using the platforms wisely. Find a company that uses social media organically rather than just utilizing their accounts as marketing ploy.
4. Appraise web agency's projects
Remember in the previous section we mentioned about a firm's portfolio? That's because it is important for you to check out the firm's other projects. The portfolio will help you know the web development agency's projects. This way, you can check out the project one by one.
You might find a business similar to yours. This will give the agency an edge because at least they already have an idea on what to do for your kind of business. This will also help you determine what you want and don't want in a website. Going through the agency's other projects will also help you identify things from other projects that you want in your website.
More importantly, appraising other projects will help you see if you already found the best web development company or javascript expert. The best one doesn't have to be the most successful. The best one is the agency that could give you what you want.
The most important thing that you can get from this is that you will see the websites that have been successful. How many successful websites has the agency you have been eyeing created? You will know that by going through the websites the agency created.
Know what you want and need
Before you shop for a web development agency, you should know what you really want. The agency may be the expert in creating a website but you are the expert in your business. A website should be a marriage between your expertise and the firm's expertise. There should be a partnership when it comes to creating your website.
When you know what you want or need, you can better explain it to your web development agency. Communication is very important. If you are unsure of what you want in a website, then the agency will create everything based on their expertise. It is not going to be organic since the agency is not passionate about your website—you are!
When you have finally chosen the agency you want and need based on the criteria above, then the partnership will be harmonious. But you have to do your due diligence before that happens. Aside from researching about the best web firms that can make your website, you also have to know what would be great for your website. You have to research that part, too.
Finding the right web development agency for your business is not going to be easy because there are so many of them right now. So let the above tips be your guide.
So if there are a lot of agencies out there, how do you find the best web development agency?
1. Check out the website of the web development agency
Surely, if an agency is in the business of web development, it should have a great website. So if you are looking for a website development company, you have to set your sights on a few of them. You have to window-shop first, before you decide to buy. Checking out the websites of a few firms would be your way of window shopping.
If you are shopping for a firm, then chances are you are not really an expert when it comes to websites. It would be in your best interest if you tap a few friends who know websites and technology. Go window shopping with them.
Ask your tech-savvy friends for pointers on what you should look for in a website. Create a checklist out of that. Then when you start window shopping with these friends, you have a sort-of report card for the websites that you have seen. This way, if you are eyeing a number of firms, you can narrow the pool down. You can have a top five agencies or a top three.
2. Meet with your shortlisted firms
Now that you have a short list of web development companies that you could potentially hire to create your website, you could narrow the list further. One way to do that is to get in touch with them and maybe ask them to submit a proposal to you. Better yet, invite them to a meeting and let them bring their proposal with them.
A really crafty web development firm would never show up with just a paper proposal. There has to be a visual or digital presentation of what they plan to develop your website and how they want to make it stand out. The presentation will give you a glimpse of how the web app development agency will deal with your needs and wants.
The meeting is going to be important because having a website is not just about having a beautiful page for your company. It is also about how a web development company will answer your questions. In other words, it is not just about your digital needs but also about all your professional needs.
This is also a great time to ask about the firm's portfolio. Another professional need that you should think about is social media. A web development agency might be an expert in social media concerns, too.
3. Surf the agency's social media activities
A web development agency without social media is not a great one. Social media has become an important part of business. Social media is mostly free and every business should take advantage of that. But in the hands of professionals, social media activities could help a business succeed.
Just as you window shopped for web firms through their websites, do the same with every agency's social media accounts. The more important platforms to look for are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. For now, Facebook is the most important social media platform because of the expansive coverage. But it has a different niche and you have to consider that too.
Surf through the agency's social media accounts and see if the agency is actually using the platforms wisely. Find a company that uses social media organically rather than just utilizing their accounts as marketing ploy.
4. Appraise web agency's projects
Remember in the previous section we mentioned about a firm's portfolio? That's because it is important for you to check out the firm's other projects. The portfolio will help you know the web development agency's projects. This way, you can check out the project one by one.
You might find a business similar to yours. This will give the agency an edge because at least they already have an idea on what to do for your kind of business. This will also help you determine what you want and don't want in a website. Going through the agency's other projects will also help you identify things from other projects that you want in your website.
More importantly, appraising other projects will help you see if you already found the best web development company or javascript expert. The best one doesn't have to be the most successful. The best one is the agency that could give you what you want.
The most important thing that you can get from this is that you will see the websites that have been successful. How many successful websites has the agency you have been eyeing created? You will know that by going through the websites the agency created.
Know what you want and need
Before you shop for a web development agency, you should know what you really want. The agency may be the expert in creating a website but you are the expert in your business. A website should be a marriage between your expertise and the firm's expertise. There should be a partnership when it comes to creating your website.
When you know what you want or need, you can better explain it to your web development agency. Communication is very important. If you are unsure of what you want in a website, then the agency will create everything based on their expertise. It is not going to be organic since the agency is not passionate about your website—you are!
When you have finally chosen the agency you want and need based on the criteria above, then the partnership will be harmonious. But you have to do your due diligence before that happens. Aside from researching about the best web firms that can make your website, you also have to know what would be great for your website. You have to research that part, too.
Finding the right web development agency for your business is not going to be easy because there are so many of them right now. So let the above tips be your guide.
