Choosing a web development company can be not only time-consuming, but also stressful. What if you make the wrong choice? What if the end result of the entire collaboration ends up being disappointing? What if you go over budget?
Fortunately, it is possible to prevent the aforementioned things from happening. You just need to know what you are looking for and make the necessary preparations ahead of time. If you need help with that, just keep reading!
In the following article, you will find a short guide to choosing the right web development company. In it, we go over a number of important things, including key factors to consider when choosing a web development partner.
What should you learn before choosing a web design company?
Before you get in touch with any web development business, it is important that you learn two things. To begin with, read up on the basics of the website design and development process. Then, look up the different roles and disciplines that people can specialize in when working for a web development company. More on that below!
The basics of the website development process
Learning the basics of the entire process of developing websites might seem like a waste of time. Nevertheless, if you are planning on developing a website with the help of a third-party company, it could really come in handy. Just keep in mind that we do not want you to master the art of website development overnight. You should become familiar with the process and its main principles, and that's it. To make it easier for you, we prepared an article about the process of designing and developing a website. It outlines what the process looks like at Adchitects.
With that kind of knowledge, you should find it easier to, for instance, explain what the entire endeavor is about to upper management or business partners. It could also help you ask the right questions, whether it be about the current status of the project or the way in which its design could better align with the values you believe in.
The different roles in a web development agency
Having learned how a website is developed, read up on the different roles that one can take on when working in a web development company. While it might seem like you just need a few web developers, that is not really the case. Times have changed, and in order to develop a professional website, you will need quite a few other professionals.
The structure of a website development team can vary, so we will explain what it looks like at Adchitects. If we are tasked with developing a website from scratch, we will typically need a user experience specialist, a project manager, a web developer, and a quality assurance specialist. Of course, the number of the aforementioned professionals depends on the scale of the project and the needs of the client. For instance, you might need several web designers or two user experience specialists if we are talking about a bigger project.
Knowing what the people we mentioned here are responsible for is useful. It will give you a general idea of what you are paying for and what the people you hired are doing when you aren't looking.
Ways to make collaborating with a professional web development company easier
Working with an experienced web development company is easier than you might think. The key here is to make the necessary preparations ahead of time. In our opinion, the said preparations should include figuring out what you need, creating a budget, and setting clear expectations.
When looking for a web development company, determine what you need that company to do. Sure, you do need a website, but what kind of website will it be? Will it be based on a specific programming language? Is it going to feature an online store? Is it going to be rather small, or should it be capable of handling hundreds of thousands of users at the same time?
Ideally, you should find a website development agency that has already developed numerous websites that are just like the kind of website you are after. For example, there are agencies that specialize in creating large-scale online stores based on a specific content management system. Others might be skilled in developing small, but very aesthetically pleasing and engaging websites. It is up to you determine what kind of web development company is going to suit you best.
Create a budget
Developing a professional website is not cheap. It can cost a few thousand dollars or tens of thousands of dollars depending on the scale of the project and how quickly you want it to be completed. With that in mind, read up on how much the kind of website you want is going to cost. Then, try to create a realistic budget.
When creating a budget, take into account any additional services that you are interested in. For instance, you might want to ask someone to optimize the custom website you will be provided with for search engines. Such a service might go beyond what the web development team you are working with is willing to do. You might need to hire an independent consultant or an SEO agency to take care of it for you. The same often goes for things like content writing and marketing. By taking such things into account, you are less likely to end up going over budget.
Interested in SEO? Read our article about how to properly prepare your website for SEO.
Have clear expectations
When talking to a web development agency, you will need to tell its representatives what you expect from their team. You will need to talk about deadlines, the scope of the entire project, and its main aim. If needed, you might also want to mention that there are specific metrics that you want to work on, such as page speed or conversion rate.
In order not to end up scrambling for words during that kick-off call, think about such things in advance. If possible, do it together with other decision-makers that are involved in the process. While you are at it, write everything important down in a text editor or on a piece of paper. Doing so guarantees that you are not going to forget about anything when talking to the web development firm that you decided to work with.
Key factors to consider when looking for a good web development company
In case you are looking for a good website development business online, you should take a few things into consideration. In the following section, we will elaborate on the most important ones, from development cost and the company's reviews to employee turnover rate.
Proven track record of past experience
If a development company is worth working with, it will have a clearly visible track record of past experience. It could take the form of a portfolio on a third-party website, a case study section on the company website, or reviews on a portal like Clutch. In the case of Adchitects, you can check out the projects we worked on through our case study website section or our Clutch profile.
A web development company might also provide you with the contact information of a past client. That way, you can talk to someone who is not associated with the web development company you are interested in. At the same time, you get to talk to a person that has some in-depth knowledge on how that web development company works and what you can expect from its employees. Here at Adchitects, our team can provide you with such contact information, too! You just need to ask for it during a kick-off call.
Industry experience
When it comes to choosing the right web development team, you should opt for one that has plenty of experience with the industry you specialize in. For instance, a web development firm that can create aesthetically pleasing and attention-grabbing e-commerce websites might not be able to design a secure web application for a bank.
Focusing on web development companies that are familiar with both the industry and the target audience you are dealing with has a number of benefits. It is particularly useful if the industry you work in has very specific needs. To give an example, banking applications have to adhere to a set of very strict regulations and be equipped with various security measures. A small website development team might not be familiar with such things, resulting in a subpar product that does not meet industry standards.
Employee turnover rate
Employee turnover rate can have a huge impact on the entire project. Here is how it works. If a company has a high turnover rate, its projects are likely to get assigned to an ever-changing group of project managers, designers, and developers. As a result, if the company in question is working on a custom website, it ends up being a chaotic mess that no individual team member has an in-depth understanding of.
For that reason, you should work with companies that can actually retain their employees. It allows you to build a long-term partnership with that company, giving you access to professionals that have already come to understand the business idea you came up with and are genuinely willing to provide you with the best digital product possible.
Complementary services
When developing custom websites, a company does not have to stop at website design and development. You can always expand upon that process and add in a number of complementary services, such as search engine optimization, content writing, and marketing. However, not every company has the resources needed to take care of such things for you, forcing you to hire freelancers or a bunch of third-party agencies. It makes the entire endeavor even more time-consuming and tiring than it already is.
Read more: Why does your site need a monthly maintenance service?
Consequently, you might want to consider working with an agency that offers all the complementary services that you are interested in. For instance, here at Adchitects, we offer services related to not only website design and development, but also SEO and copywriting. So, by working with agencies like ours, you can get a complete website that includes not only optimized code and sleek graphic design, but also attention-grabbing content and high-ranking landing pages.
Reviews, ratings, and feedback
Remember to take the agency's reviews into account. They should give you a general idea of what working with that agency is like, as well as what its strengths and weaknesses might be. Ideally, you should focus on reviews posted on websites like Clutch, as posting a review there requires verification and a certain amount of time and effort. It lowers the likelihood of you stumbling upon reviews that were falsified or bought.
Cost
Needless to say, you should consider the cost of the entire endeavor. It is going to depend on a wide range of things, from how many pages the website is supposed to have and the expertise of the website development team to the location of the company.
You might feel tempted to reach out to a team of cheap freelancers to cut costs. While it is perfectly understandable, it is not really worth the effort, especially if the entire project is meant to result in the creation of a professional website.
Remember, a freelancer is unlikely to have the skills and experience to take care of everything you need, from graphic design to content creation. Hiring a team of freelancers is an option, sure, but it might prove to be problematic when it comes to project management.
For best results, it is best to cooperate with an agency that will handle everything for you. It will provide you with a ready-to-go team, including a project manager that will keep an eye on the team's progress and ensure that everything is delivered on time.
Communication style
Last but not least, look for a website development company that is easy to talk to. It might not sound that important, but it is a vital aspect of the entire project. Attending meetings should not be a pain in the neck. Instead, it should be a pleasant and engaging experience.
Aside from that, try to find an agency that responds to queries in a short amount of time. You should not be left hanging for days at a time. It just causes undue anxiety and stress, putting a strain on the collaboration.
If you would like to learn more about how proper communication can improve digital products, processes, and partnerships, check out our article about the benefits of clear communication!
What is a good web development company?
The best web development companies stand out from the crowd. What does that mean, though? For starters, such companies have an impressive portfolio filled with projects for a wide range of different companies. In addition, they have a large number of positive reviews on reputable websites.
Aside from that, the best web development companies tend to have a transparent and client-centric approach. Their representatives are willing to answer any and all questions that their customers might have. What is more, they respond to their clients' messages in a timely manner and are always mindful of their business needs.
On top of the things listed here, good web development companies are likely to have a positive company culture and a high retention rate. They might also offer a wide range of complementary services that go beyond website development. These services could be things related to search engine optimization, marketing, or copywriting, to name a few.
Where can you find trustworthy web development companies?
There are quite a few websites that you can use to find the best web development company for the web development project you are looking to launch. In our opinion, the best one out of the bunch is Clutch, but Google Maps and various social media platforms are also a viable option.
Clutch
Clutch is a website that is meant to help decision-makers make important decisions about business partnerships. You can use it to find interesting companies, from top web development companies to mobile app development specialists and marketing agencies.
Each company can be reviewed by its previous clients. Then, based on the reviews' contents and the score associated with each review, that company's overall score is calculated. The better the score and the more reviews a company has, the more people are going to see it.
As you can see, Clutch is a great tool for both service providers and business owners looking for trustworthy service providers. The business owners can see what working with a specific company is like and whether it is worth the money. On the other hand, the service providers can use Clutch to attract potential customers and earn the said customers' trust.
Clutch is a great tool for finding reliable service providers. Whether you're looking for a website design agency or a marketing agency, Clutch will help you find an organization that will provide you with exactly what you need. In case you're new to Clutch, feel free to browse our Clutch profile!
Google Maps
While Google Maps is not as reliable as Clutch, it can prove to be helpful if you are about to start looking for a reliable technology partner in a specific area or if you are looking to work with local businesses. It can provide you with a general list of companies that offer web design services. You can then improve upon that list and evaluate it using a more reliable review website.
If you are looking for a service provider who specializes in a specific type of websites, such as responsive websites, e-commerce websites, or template-based websites, why not visit different social media platforms? There, you can search for companies posting things with hashtags related to the kind of website that you are interested in.
To give an example, imagine that you want to launch a large-scale online store. It is meant to be a reliable enterprise-grade e-commerce solution. In order to find the right web development company for the job, you could search for companies that post about e-commerce web page development or online store design.
Social media websites can also be useful when it comes to checking what the company's marketing efforts and overall digital presence are about. On top of that, social could should aid you in getting a general idea of what the company stands for, what kind of projects it specializes in, and who its employees are.
So, how to choose a web development company in 2023?
To sum up, finding a good development company is about making the necessary preparations ahead of time, carefully evaluating each potential technology partner, and knowing what you want. We hope that the tips for choosing a web development firm we provided you with will be able to make the entire process a bit easier!
In case you do not feel like continuing on with the search for the right web development company, do not worry. Just get in touch with us, and we will provide you with the responsive website you need. From the website's design to its page speed and the evolving technologies that are powering it, we will make sure that it proves to be just what you were looking for.
Social media
If you are looking for a service provider who specializes in a specific type of websites, such as responsive websites, e-commerce websites, or template-based websites, why not visit different social media platforms? There, you can search for companies posting things with hashtags related to the kind of website that you are interested in.
To give an example, imagine that you want to launch a large-scale online store. It is meant to be a reliable enterprise-grade e-commerce solution. In order to find the right web development company for the job, you could search for companies that post about e-commerce web page development or online store design.
Social media websites can also be useful when it comes to checking what the company's marketing efforts and overall digital presence are about. On top of that, social could should aid you in getting a general idea of what the company stands for, what kind of projects it specializes in, and who its employees are.