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Selecting the company that will build your website is a crucial step towards your business's success, and it's a decision that will either make or break your brand's online reputation. There are a slew of factors you should be conscious of when choosing a web design agency. New York is home to hundreds of creative collectives with various areas of specialty, service offerings and price ranges. Knowing what to look for can mean the difference between failure and success, and this article will help you through that process. 1. What is their track record?
You want to hire a company which has the experience to substantiate their offerings. You should always scrutinize their portfolio, making sure the websites they've done in the past are held up to the standards you expect to see reflected in your own. New York web design firms are like anything else you can expect from New York: diverse. You'll find some web design companies in NYC offering work for pennies on the dollar compared to others, and might ask yourself why... till you see their portfolio. Look at their previous and current clientele, and look for success—you shouldn't have to look very far. 2. What services do they offer?
A New York web design firm that offers services which go beyond the scope of merely designing your website is a company you want to work with. Do they offer marketing services? SEO services? Brand development? Website management services? These are the key factors you want to keep in mind when hiring a web design firm in NYC. 3. Is it all really done by them?
This one is crucial. If you're paying a New York web design agency, you expect your work to be done by a New York web design agency, not pawned off to a subcontractor elsewhere. You need to be thoroughly in the loop when it comes to who'll be handling your project. You need to be able to feel secure, and you'll only be able to attain a sense of security if they're transparent about how their work is handled, how their office is staffed, and if you're able to speak with the person handling it. 4. How are their services priced?
You're going down this road with a budget in mind, whether you've thought it through entirely or not. There's a certain number you will not exceed under any circumstances. And there's a certain number you're likely expecting based on your previous consultations. Does this web design firm stack up to those expectations? What are their hourly rates? Are you being billed a flat-rate for your website? Does their proposed timeline and their hourly rate line up? If you require additional features beyond the scope of the proposal, is it clear how that process will be handled?
Remember, low prices might be enticing—but if a New York web design agency is able to offer you services at a fraction of the cost of another—something is likely amiss. Do you want to entrust your business's reputation to web design company that's cutting corners? Remember, the old adage, "You get what you pay for," rings true when it comes to web design, too. 5. Is their name established online?
How'd you even find them? Personal references are great, especially if the referrer has had web design done by them in the past. But if that person has not worked with the web design company—and they're a friend or colleague of the company's staff—take the referral with a grain of salt. Ask yourself, why wouldn't they try to send their friend some extra business?
You want to look at the web design agency's reputation online, from their social media accounts to their reviews in directory listings. Don't look for all positive reviews or stress the negative ones too much, look for consistency across the board. 6. Are their contracts sound and secure?
You want to hire a New York web design agency which is in full compliance with—and has complete reverence for—the law. This goes beyond their internal practices, it means making sure they protect your interests and your business in their contracts. Read through any contracts and proposals they provide you clearly, and review them with your lawyer. Ensure that your interests are completely protected and that there's a clause covering non-disclosure, as you'll be providing some sensitive material to them throughout the period you work together. 7. Do they take the time to educate you?
The web is in a constant state of flux: from innovative new web standards, to new file formats, to browser updates rolling out several times a year; even web developers have to take the time to ensure they're up to speed. You're hiring a New York web design company because it's their area of expertise, and not your own.
That is precisely why they should provide you with all of the information you could possibly ask for to ensure you understand: what it is they're doing, how they'll be doing it, and why they're doing it the way they are. Under no circumstances should you feel lost or confused throughout the process without them taking the steps to remedy that. Ask yourself: Do they provide you with knowledge bases and tutorials to understand how to manage your website after it's complete? Do they provide some complimentary support along with the service? 8. Is their sales division knowledgeable?
Does their sales team need to know how to develop websites? No. But they should be able to effectively articulate the steps of the process, and how their services can address your issues, and achieve your goals. If the person you're speaking to is clearly "all talk," they're not the web design agency for you. 9. Do you like their site?
This should go without saying, but maybe you didn't look beyond their homepage when you first came across their business. Maybe you didn't even see their website, and were referred via a phone number, or they reached out to you. Regardless, if their website doesn't blow you away, move onto the next one. New York web design agencies with unimpressive work standards are a dime a dozen, finding one which upholds quality work is key.
10. Do they care about you, your business, and your goals?
This is the most important decision-making factor when choosing a web design company in New York. You should feel comfortable and at home from your very first interaction with them, and that level of comfort should only grow throughout the period you work together. There are web design companies which will view your business solely as another stream of revenue for them, and there are web design companies which are staffed by people who are passionate about what they do.
Your web design firm should treat your business like it is their own. They should analyze your offerings, assess your goals, and architect a strategy to achieve them.
If you made it to the bottom of this page, you've come to the right place. Thinkcode is a New York web design agency which specializes in WorcdPress design and development, E-Commerce development, SEO, and digital marketing. Give us a call at (516) 900-4660 to get started today.
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