There are so many web designers and developers around these days it’s hard to know where to start and what to look for when hiring one. Most of all you need to understand that this is likely to be a long-term relationship, so there are a number of things you need to look for. Spend time preparing your requirements and doing some leg work as this can save you a lot of time and potentially money in the future.
We’ve put together a handy guide for you:
- Prepare a brief
You’ll need to get a quote for the work you require. Typically this is to design and develop a new website. You’ll also need some hosting and on-going maintenance for your site, such as backing up and updating to the latest software. You should have a realistic budget in mind, as this can help determine who you approach, and what sort of service you receive, i.e. full-service design and development, or you might want to do a bit of DIY! We would recommend you put a brief I together with as much detail as possible, in order to get several quotes (at least 3) from reputable local companies.
- Make a list of websites you like
Would you like a visual, modern, cool site? Or a more traditional, conservative one? Do you expect to make a lot of edits to the content or will the site only need to be updated by a developer?
- Draw up a shortlist of companies
Having put together your requirements from points one and two, carry out some research about companies you’re going to approach. Ask your business contacts and perhaps ask on professional social media like LinkedIn. Look at who comes highly recommended and search the internet, then have a look at the company’s portfolio. Do they have ratings on Google Plus or Facebook? (We do!). Or have they been recommended on other websites? From this you can draw up a short-list of companies you want to approach with your brief, probably around 3-5 to get a variety of quotes.
- Talk to them about who, when and where the work will be carried out.
Some companies carry out the web development and design work in-house; others hire freelancers. It’s worth knowing who will be doing the work and what skills they have. If you’re looking for your website to be designed on a specific platform, say WordPress – can they accommodate you? Can they complete the work within your timescales?
- Will they be the right fit for your business?
Your web agency needs to be the right fit for you. Do the people you’ll be working with fit with your business? Can you work with them? Do they share the same values? Is it a company you can work with over a long period of time?
- Evaluate your proposals
Once you’ve received proposals from several companies, go through and evaluate them. You may want to draw up a matrix or points system to ‘rank’ them in terms of their suitability. Look at what isn’t included in the price, which you may be charged extra for, for example hosting or extra amendments. Will you own the intellectual property of your website? It’s essential that you do.
- Don’t hire just on price
Don’t hire your web company because they have given you the most competitive quote. You should be looking for a long-term relationship. It’s likely that you will need them for lots of additional services in the future. You may want to ask them about their charges for additional add-on services so that you get a picture of what the cost is likely to be.
If you would like us to quote for some work for you or have an initial discussion about your requirements then please get in touch.
