If you are considering having a website design company build a website for your business, you are probably a little nervous about the cost. It’s true that these companies can charge quite a bit for their services, but once you find out everything you get for the price you pay, odds are you’ll feel much better.
A good website design company won’t just plug your company into an existing template, charge you several thousand dollars, and call it a day. No, they’ll start by meeting with you and key members of your team to get to know your company and your customers. They’ll find out who your target audience is, areas of opportunity, and how you compare to competitors in your industry. They will find out what exactly you need from a website, because no two are the same. Everyone has different marketing needs, and they’ll start probing you to determine how best to meet yours. Be prepared to answer lots of questions! The more questions the better – this is how they’ll gather the information necessary to build your website.
After they’ve determined what you need from your website and how to present you as a company, your website design company will likely propose design concepts to you. Some might only bring you one for approval, modifying it based on your critique, but others will present you with two or more to choose from. The design elements will incorporate aspects of your company aesthetic identity (logo, existing marketing materials), and will be reflective of your company’s personality and values. Most design companies will work closely with you to perfect the design, making it just right for you and your customers.
Once you’ve approved a design concept, the website design company will begin building! They’ll work in all the details that are important to you, whether it’s social media sharing, ecommerce, staff login, or any number of interactive tools. At this point, some design companies will have their copywriting team write the content for your site as well, based on information you’ve given them. Some companies might not offer this feature, so if it’s a service you want, make sure you ask at the beginning of the process. Many businesses initially feel that they don’t want their design agency to write their content, feeling they’d do a better job themselves. If this is the way you feel, it will be beneficial for you to at least consult with the copywriting team and hear their ideas. They might surprise you! These are professionals who are trained to write about even the most obscure industries, and have a knack for making even the most technical subject matter interesting and understandable. Don’t be afraid to trust them! They know what they’re doing.
Hopefully now that you know how extensive the services of a website design company are, you’ll feel more comfortable hiring one. The work they do is invaluable in today’s web-heavy marketing world, and paying for a good web design company will often increase your revenue in the long run.