Full Disclosure: I sell websites. Every day I meet with companies who are looking for a Web design company are, and of course I would choose some of them for us.
But I also noticed that in these conversations often wonder, not the people, the most important issues.
An encounter with a web design company is an interview. You want to ensure that their business is legitimate, and you want an idea of the personality and culture of receptionBusiness.
Above all, you need strategy for the unique challenges you to understand your project
In just 5 minutes to tell these 5 questions over each one-hour presentation could:
Question 1: What is your approach to usability is that?
More than any other question will distinguish them helps you quickly by experienced web designers and novices.
The issue of ease of use will help youFocus of the company, whether the most important thing in mind: visitors.
A business without a good answer to this question is a site that they want or need to be built for you, but visitors find confusing or difficult to use. You want a web design company that is thinking at the highest level: User-Centered Design.
The best people light up now and in web design when you talk about usability. They are grateful for the question, and they are happy Sharing their views, experiences and latest research findings.
Resolved:
"I'm glad you asked! We believe in user-centered design and usability testing, we believe possible. We are the developers and visitors to their interests with empirical evidence and research to defend. "
Question 2: Can you give me examples of projects with similar objectives?
Ask for examples of sites with goals and similar functions.
Do you need a tool for event recording? Talk withPeople> who can show you a. In this way, you can ask why it was built a certain way, what were the challenges, the results were measured, and how these results, the project has achieved its objectives.
And if they do not build a similar site before. Are they advance on this? Do they have any ideas? What are the challenges you expect?
The design is your main concern? Instead of seeking a company with a portfolio piece, seeking to match your needs, by searching for a company that can demonstrate the adequacy seemsYou have a wide choice of designs. This indicates a creative philosophy in good health: a company listens to its customers, keeps the brand, not a one-size-fits-all approach to the design process.
Resolved:
"That, of course. S Take a look at some now. "
Follow-up question:
Is there a limit to the number of design changes?
Question 3: Can I run the team?
This question will immediately recognize if the team at home oroutsourced.
Many companies court the different parts of a project. Perhaps the company you are considering is a reliable partner companies. Or maybe it's an ad hoc team of independent workers who have never worked together before and who may not be there on the street.
Or is it a team at all? Society "you speak to May offers, in effect, a person to sell the project, no analysis, program design of the site, and administer the server. This person is likely to be an expert inall these things?
For each page with goals seriously, you should choose a team of specialists. If the team is in fact only 1 or 2 people on their ability to represent your project. If they are engaged in sales of new clients while working on your site? How important project for them?
Resolved:
"The whole team is in the house and working on similar projects throughout the day."
2. Resolved:
"He is involved in a business partner, butEveryone has worked together on similar projects. "
Follow-up question:
Team members have previously worked together? How many times have they done this?
Question 4: What if I later change?
One of the fundamental differences between web development companies is the current attitude to change.
Each site will change over time. Some companies charge hourly rates of these changes, while others developed a management tool set that containedJust to update, fast and free to download text, images, and add pages.
Resolved:
"We are developing a tool that you have someone (or have an access permit) site administration. You'll never wait or face a bill for fundamental change."
Follow-up question:
What changes will cost money?
Even if your site includes a tool for managing content, some types of changes will need a professional programmer and designer. Ask if your tool content management lets you addnew forms, modify, or animations, you create new types of layouts.
Question 5: How can we measure results?
This is not a bad thing, if the answer to this question seems a bit technical.
Listen for words such as bounce rates, unique visits, pageviews, time on site, inbound links, rankings of search engines, conversion rates, etc. If you hear is not slang, you know, Please ask for explanations in plain language.
Resolved:
"We measureThe visitors, bounce rate and percentage conversion. Our goal is to generate leads, then the most important indicators. We use a scan tool to do this, and we'll show you how to pursue these measures as too. "
Follow-up question:
What numbers should I expect?
Of course, there are so many variables it would be difficult even for an experienced professional to be too specific to answer this question. But if a company has conducted similar projects, they should beat least in a general sense of reference.
Bonus Tips
* Check references. Or better yet able to meet designers web through referrals, people you know and trust who have worked with them in the past.
* Ask if the pricing is an estimate or a firm up numbers.
* Make sure they are listening. This can be an instant deal breaker.