Whatever the goal, achieving the best outcome necessitates the need for everyone involved to be working at the top of their game. This is certainly the case for a planned website project, where the consequences of picking the wrong web development agency can severely affect performance and results.
Websites are in control of driving and converting potential customers, and a company website impacts brand perception. Therefore, if your newly built site isn’t constructed properly, or doesn’t match the persona of your carefully honed brand identity, it has the capacity to do lasting damage and severely limit sales potential.
In this blog we’re going to help you find the best agency to work with. The ‘best’ doesn't necessarily mean the cheapest, the slickest, or even the most accomplished agency, it means the agency that has the greatest chance of achieving the best outcome for your company.
What questions should you be asking from the outset?
Before you even think about signing with your chosen web development agency it’s time to do some homework.
Lay out a set of questions that you can ask potential candidates so that you can compare offerings. This research phase will also help narrow down your project brief and highlight the criteria that are most important for the project.
1. How can you qualify suitability for your niche sector?
Specific niche sectors have their own nuances, it is simply common sense to choose a web development agency that can demonstrate relevant experience in your sector, or one that’s adjacent to it at least. With relevant experience comes greater understanding of target clients and specific challenges that must be overcome.
Not only that, but relevant experience means they can deliver much quicker, as they don’t have to take any extra time to understand the environment you operate in.
Chaser questions:
- Ask for URLs of sites they have directly worked on that operate in the same sector
- Don’t be too shy to ask development agencies for a detailed strategy of how they plan to deliver the results
2. Ask them to explain their team’s development process
You need to ascertain how your chosen web development agency works. When they manage a project are they connecting with their client on a daily basis to give frequent updates?, or are they more hands-off and only make contact when they have reached a set waypoint?
The management style the agency adopts should align with how you work yourself. By asking them for clarity here you are making sure you’re both compatible with each other. You may prefer not to be interrupted frequently, or alternatively you might like to be kept informed at all times. There’s no wrong answer here, just potentially a poor fit for you and your business if you misalign.
Chaser questions:
- Ask for an outline of the key development process stages
- Enquire as to how often you’ll be updated
- Establish the tools that will be used for your project
3. Can you talk to someone who’s used their services?
Any reputable web development agency will be more than happy for you to talk to a previous client of theirs. This amazingly is not often requested but it’s so vitally important. Social proof is the best way of gauging expectation vs reality and grants invaluable insights into communication style and methodology, plus you’ll find out how they coped when met with an unexpected challenge.
Chaser questions:
- Ask for contacts of previous clients from more than 2 years ago (are they still happy?)
- Ask for data that backs up customer satisfaction claims
4. Do they specialise in SEO and optimisation?
The success of any site is ultimately determined by its search engine ranking, and rankings are impacted by overall website performance, and mobile compatibility. Be sure to ask your prospective web development agency candidates exactly how they implement SEO to optimise the sites they build.
More and more internet users now access sites via their smartphones and tablets, so mobile optimisation simply cannot be ignored.
Chaser questions:
- Ask for a detailed breakdown of their approach towards SEO
- Ensure that your site is fully responsive on all devices
- Ask specifically about how they plan to implement on-page SEO
5. Don't forget to ask about aftercare + future maintenance
Remember that your relationship with your chosen web development agency doesn't end the moment your site goes live. However, robustly your site has been built, and however comprehensive the content, it is an absolute certainty that you will require the services of your chosen provider on an ongoing basis.
Ask about how they deal with future security patches, and get a figure in writing of what you can expect to pay for any after-care maintenance post-launch. You really don’t want any nasty surprises!
Chaser questions:
- Be sure to find out how long support lasts after your site is completed
- Ask what the process is for dealing with future technical issues
- Always check to see if your team will require any training to manage the site, and if this is included in the price
6. What metrics are used to track performance?
It’s important to understand how the web development agency measures the success of a project. This can include user experience, site performance, conversions, and more. Asking this will help you align on key performance indicators (KPIs) from the start.
Why ask this? Understanding how success is measured helps ensure both parties are on the same page regarding project goals and expectations.
Chaser questions:
- How do you monitor and report on website performance after launch?
- Can you integrate analytics tools like Google Analytics?
7. What is the process for ongoing content management?
Virtually all websites will require updating with new content, so be clear upfront on what you need from your provider. Will you need access to the CMS system yourself? Or would you rather outsource all content management to your chosen agency so that they deal with all future updates.
This is vital to establish early on, as they may persuade you to go with one platform over another. If, for example, you sell products and will regularly have new items to list / delist then an easy-to-use CMS such as ‘Shopify' might be the best choice for your online retail business.
Chaser questions:
- Ask what CMS system is the best for your business and how they can support you with it
- Weigh up the cost vs. benefits of each solution.
- Determine how flexible the proposed platform is, as well as its potential for future scalability
An FAQ roundup to help you select the best Web Development Agency for your business
How long will it take to build your new site?
You can expect the average site to take somewhere between 8-16 weeks until it is live.
What are the most important things to look for when choosing a web development agency?
Experience is hugely important, as are relevant examples of work. SEO specialisation should be highly sought after, plus a clear demonstration of how well they communicate.
How much should you pay for the average web development project?
This is an open-ended question, but £10,000 is a fairly good estimate for a medium-sized site.
How much time will you need to contribute to the process?
Your input will be required continually throughout the process. The potent thing here is to make sure your chosen Webb development agency works in a similar style that you're accustomed to.
What level of post-launch support is offered?
Be sure to get in writing exactly what after-care and support is included in the price of your package. Typically, an hourly rate is the method used to determine ongoing maintenance and security update costs, but this also could take the form of a monthly retainer fee.
You only get to make the right choice once for every new project, so be sure to do your due diligence and carefully vet all potential candidates before you make your final choice. The questions we’ve outlined above should help you determine the right candidate!
If you're looking for a partner you can rely on, Web Choice UK is a name that is both respected and trusted in equal measure. Web Choice has extensive experience launching fully SEO-optimised websites that are completed on time and under budget. Make the right choice; make it Web Choice UK!
