Without a website, your company might as well not exist! It sounds harsh, but every business, large or small, needs a website.
Websites act as your 24/7 online shopfront, build credibility, increase your advertising options, and are an important customer service tool. But if you don’t yet have a website, it’s never too late to get started.
The first step is to hire a website development company, a professional service that will create your website. But, with so many web developers out there, you need to know how to find the right one.
To learn more, keep reading to find seven important questions you should always ask before hiring a web developer.
1. How Long Will My New Website Take to Build?
You’re sure to be eager for your sparkling new website to be up and running. However, patience is a virtue, as website building can take quite a long time—months and months even, for complex sites.
To manage your expectations, always ask your website design team about timeframes. When do they expect to have your new site ready?
Some web firms have a waitlist, so it’s always better to know in advance how long you’ll need to wait. This is particularly true if you’re waiting on your website before you begin your marketing efforts.
2. Can You Teach Me How to Update the Site?
It’s great to have a beautiful new web design for your business, but what good is it if you can’t use it? Any reputable web company should teach you about the backend of your new site.
Over time, you’ll need to update your site with new photos, updated pages, or added blog posts. This means you need to know how to manage your website’s backend, whether that’s WordPress or another provider.
Check to ensure your web developer will include some lessons so you know how everything works once your new site is handed over to you.
3. What’s the Total Cost?
A new website can be a big investment, especially for large, custom builds. Before signing a contract, make sure you know how much the total cost will be, so there are no hidden surprises.
In addition to development fees, there might be other costs, such as hosting fees, domain name registration, or stock images. Your developing company should also be able to advise on yearly hosting costs, which is the fee you pay for your website to be live online.
4. Have You Worked With Clients Similar to Me?
Each industry has unique website needs, which is why it’s helpful to find a company that has experience with similar clients to your own.
If you’re a bakery, for example, it’s amazing to work with a developer who’s helped other bakeries build up their online presence, since they already know what works well.
You’re well within your rights to ask if the web developer can tell you a bit about previous clients they’ve assisted.
5. Will My Site Be a Custom Build?
A digital marketing company will usually create your website in one of two ways. The first option is to use a template, which means they take a pre-existing website template and customize it for your site.
Or, they might create a custom build, meaning your website is completely unique from any other. As you might expect, custom builds are phenomenal, but they’re generally more expensive than a template.
However, you deserve to know what you’re paying for, so make sure you know what kind of website you’re getting.
Whether or not your build is custom, know that you’ll still be able to provide plenty of input on things like color schemes, fonts, logos, and style.
6. Can I See Some Examples of Your Previous Work?
You need a web design company with experience and skills! So, be sure to ask for examples of their previous work.
Most companies will be glad to show you their portfolio, so you can see and browse through websites they’ve built for other clients. This is also a great opportunity to make sure your developer matches your style and desired outcomes.
Many developers will also link to their past work on their own website, but be sure to ask if you can’t find anything listed.
7. Will My Website Be SEO-Optimized?
Having a brand-new website isn’t enough to help your business thrive! Your new website also needs to be SEO-optimized, meaning it’s built in a way that will help it rank highly in search engines.
This includes factors such as using the right keywords, optimizing the site for mobile use, and having fast loading times. You need a website builder that’s skilled in both web design and SEO, like https://www.designmemarketing.com/.
A reputable company will be glad to talk you through their SEO results, showing SEO improvements they’ve made for previous clients.
Find the Best Website Development Company With These Tips
If your small business is in need of a new website, be sure to hire the right people for the job. Using the tips above, start doing some research to find the best website development company for your project.
After a few introductory calls, check online reviews, ask for quotes, and then find a company that best suits your needs. Soon, they’ll be hard at work building your beautiful new website.
Get started today—your business will thank you!
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