In 2021, any business must be properly lit to attract customers and build the right reputation. Web development companies can help to do it most properly with the help of the website or an app. But how to make the right choice and find a company that will offer a truly valuable product? This process is associated with many difficulties and obstacles. Making a choice, you should be attentive to avoid typical mistakes. This article helps to find a reliable company with a positive reputation, top-notch tech specialists, literate managers, and qualified business analysts who understand your needs. Let’s look at the main factors that should be considered when you choose an agency that can bring your idea to life.

Before moving forward, decide what type of website or web app you need. You should prepare a couple of examples that look similar to the product you want to receive, or just be able to explain your final aim and preferences.

Rule No1: does an agency have enough experience?

Creating any product or software solution – from a website to an app or e-learning product – is possible only with the help of an experienced team. The software development company should have at least 2-3 years of working experience in the industry. Otherwise, the budget can be spent ineffectively and the received result will upset you. If the aim is to create a big website with a complex structure and functionality look for an agency that has at least 4-5 years of proven experience.

The experience of an agency is also proved by the approach to work. Good companies do not try to do the work as quickly as possible, gaining benefits and forgetting about the client. They should be interested in the peculiarities of your brand, tone, pros and cons of the business, competitors. Therefore, an experienced team gets acquainted with brand guidelines and the positioning of the company. If these guidelines haven’t been created they should be thought out before the web solution. It contributes to creating a useful product and improving brand reputation.

The best web development companies try to analyze the results after the project is completed. The sets of parameters that help to evaluate success differ according to the type of the website or app. For example, to measure the result received for the e-commerce website the customer retention rates can be used.

Rule No2: can their portfolio mesmerize you and show the level of expertise?

Deeds speak louder than words. The customer must be sure that the web development company has already worked with similar projects. It’s obvious because only in such a way you can see the relevant example. If such a project is successful you get an additional reason to cooperate with the company. Any stunning portfolio requires a detailed study of design and functionality.

Judging the web development company by the portfolio is a smart idea because you evaluate the skillset. Exploring the portfolio, you should pay attention to various details, namely:

• Design. It must be responsive, intuitive, and attractive with well-matched elements.
• Simplicity. Menu items and buttons should be intuitively clear.
• Typography. It can be perceived as a part of the design. Still, there are a lot of projects where the bad font spoils the perception of the text.
• Quality and quantity of the projects.
• Usability and functionality that help to evaluate the required skills.

Rule No3: is the team of the web development company able to implement your idea?

The basic requirement for any company is a knowledgeable team that consists of experts in different areas – from design to development. An outsourcing company has all abilities to offer a deep talent pool with needed expertise in a particular area. Local web development firms do not have such a capability but they can be better in the development of products for the local audiences because of the cultural similarity. They know what a website or online store will be optimal for the client’s needs due to users’ wants.

To analyze the level of competence of a web agency try to find reviews. As usual, the most valuable for you are reviews that were provided by the customer who works in the same industry and had the same aims and budget.

A lot of reviews that characterize the company can be found on the Clutch. This website gathers feedback from clients that are located in different parts of the world. You can analyze these reviews and different awards to make a final decision and choose the agency that has a good reputation with a normal rank. Note that there are other websites like Clutch where you can find reviews. For example, GoodFirms.

Also, it’s an absolute necessity to arrange a meeting with the team. Due to the situation with the COVID-19, it could be a conference call. During this call, you must ask team members about their skills and vision of the product. If their answers don’t inspire it’s better to look for another company. The ability of the team to communicate with clients is directly related to the quality of the resulting product and customer satisfaction. Strong communication and problem-solving skills serve as additional factors in choosing a particular web development company.

Rule No4: how can you evaluate the official website of the company?

Only the company whose own website meets modern standards can cope with the implementation of a serious project. Therefore, you should visit the official page of an agency and pay attention to the quality of design and navigation. The website should be updated with actual information about services and working links to the company’s profiles on social networks. Everything that you see on the official website can be used during the implementation of your project.

In addition to the website, look at the activity of an agency in social networks. Learning profiles on Facebook, pay attention to important details, namely:

• The update frequency.
• The level of the corporate culture.
• Interaction with clients and the independent audience.
• The presence of an address and contact info.

Do not forget to explore the profile on LinkedIn. The profile here must consist of a few mandatory sections, namely: the history, mission, and services of the web development company, reviews that were left by customers, solutions which can be used for solving clients’ problems, members of the team, contact info.

Rule No5: does the budget announced by the contractor meet your expectations and capabilities?

Your costs directly depend on the complexity and scope of the project that should be done. It’s obvious that the price of the website depends on its type. The cheapest are template-based websites that can be used even for online stores. Besides them, you can order an E-commerce website or custom solution. Also, you need to ask the representatives of the company questions related to creating a budget.

• What do you include in the cost of development?
• What additional costs are possible?
• Can you recommend any secure and reliable hosting for a website?
• How much does the on-going support cost?

The best choice is the company that offers a reasonable and average market price. There are 2 different kinds of payments: fixed-price or pay per hour of work. If you choose to pay per hour opt for the useful time tracking tool to control the process.

Note that prices for web development services depending on the location of the company and its size which could be conditionally divided into three groups, namely: small companies, medium-sized businesses, and big enterprises.

Source: Qubit Labs

Here you can see the cost of developing a small website with simple functionality

Rule No6: how long does it take to receive a response to your call or email?

Even the best talents of web development all over the world are useless if they are not ready to work. That’s why you should analyze how long it takes to receive a response. When it takes more than 48 business hours the company isn’t interested in your project. Do not waste time and try to find another agency!

Final thoughts

Before making the decision, ask the representatives of the web development company a few simple questions:

1. Are you going to do any research related to our business?

As was mentioned above, a good company needs previous research of the business to build the right strategy, prepare an excellent design, and choose a web solution that can be effectively combined with the marketing strategy. If they answer this question negatively you should think about choosing another team of developers.

2. What services can you offer in addition to design?

Agencies with a high level of experience and qualification, as usual, offer a full range of services, including design, programming, testing, SEO, and consultations.

3. What do you think about the impact of user experience on web design?

Nowadays, the user experience must be perceived as the main aspect of a successful website or an app. There is no doubt that a strong team must put the user experience at the center of the project. You should understand what approaches and tactics they use to achieve this goal.

4. Can you help with digital marketing?

Of course, some companies are focused only on the development of the website or an app. But you should understand that after the release of the product you should work on its search engine optimization and promotion. This will require a reliable partner. If the web development company offers such additional services it can be a good option.

5. How many edits are possible before approval?

As usual, 2-3 edits must be included in the basic price. For additional revisions, you should pay extra money. Make sure that the company is ready to make a few edits on the basic stage for free.

Note that answers to these questions can characterize the company’s experience and customer-orientation. Consider them when you make the final choice of the web development company. Also, pay attention to your specific goals. When you are going to hire an agency act like you are looking for an employee. Ask them questions that were mentioned above, try to understand their approach to work. It is a kind of challenge. Anyway, if you follow these rules you will receive an efficient web solution without waste of money and time.

Author Bio:

Name: Mike Shvejk

Position: Content Writer at CyberCraft. Our company is your trusted software development partner from Western Europe. 

Website: https://cybercraftinc.com  

Description: CyberCraft is your trusted software development partner from Western Europe. We provide various services – from the web and mobile development to testing,  R&D and Consulting, and design. 

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