Hiring a Web Design company has never been easy. If your business has gotten this far without a website, you might be wondering: do I need a website for my business? What’s the point if my business is already successful without one?
Websites can be one of the greatest tools for a business that is up and running. Your website, otherwise known as your online office, storefront, and virtual brand, is how you will present yourself to the world. Your clients will be introduced to your business via this website. 
So, what’s a new business owner to do? You want the best site possible, so to help you out and get you oriented we have put together this awesome guide of what you must know before hiring a web design company.

“Don’t build a website, build your business.”

You should know the 8 keys before hiring a web design company.

1. A website makes you look professional

84% of today’s consumers think a website makes your business more credible than companies that only have social media profiles. Your website is also the perfect place to show off any professional certifications or awards your business has.
Beyond that, having your own website lets you create a branded email address (e.g. yourname@yoursite.com) which adds a level of professionalism to all of your correspondence, especially if you’ve used a personal email address to conduct business up until now.

2. Is the web design company established and experienced?

It’s important to find a web design company that has experience. You can measure this in years, number of clients, and also through the quality of their web design portfolio. Years in business indicate that the web design company is a stable and successful business and that they will be able to competently work with your business for the long term.
Also, before hiring a web design company, it is necessary that their own website is live and active. The number of clients the company has indicates that they should be very familiar with the full spectrum of website projects and won’t take on a project that they don’t have experience in completing. It also indicates that they have had the opportunity to iron out their work processes and are familiar with deadlines and timeframes.
Three important questions to ask are:

• How long has the company been designing and developing websites?
• The number of clients they have worked with?
• How many employees do they have?

Realistically a website is an ongoing project and it is important to partner with an experienced and established company that will be there for the long term and has the experience to offer you ongoing support and advice.

3. What should I expect to pay?

This is one of the most important questions you could possibly ask before hiring a web design company. In fact, one of the most frequently asked questions regarding web services is “How much does it cost to build a website?’ This is a question without any single answer, as the actual final cost is determined by a large number of varying factors.
Website prices can range a lot. You can get a website for as little as almost nothing and just pay for hosting, or the price can go all the way up to ₦200,000 and beyond. One of the interesting things about the web design industry is that you can get quoted a considerably different amount for the same job depending on the company that is quoting you.
As is often the case when looking to purchase anything, there can be a temptation to go with the cheapest option. You can get a website for between ₦45,000 – ₦80,000. However, it is important you understand what your website contains as there are limitations.
Obviously, price is highly dependent on the specific functionality that you require, but if you have a budget of between ₦80,000 – ₦200,000, and if you follow the points in this document when selecting the web design company, you should be able to get a professionally designed and developed website for your business.
The best way to look at a website is that it is a long-term project and an investment in your business. If you are prepared to pay a little extra and choose the right company, your website can be an asset and money-making tool for years to come.

4. Process of Development – Understanding

An expertly designed web solution does not come ready-made like a shirt. It requires extensive consultation between the developer and the owner. During planning, a room must be provided for continuous dialogue so that every stage of development is discussed and the final product is pleasing to both the owner and the developer.
Clear communication allows you to adjust your demands and expectations based on the outcome of the development process. Without communication, the developer will not deliver the product you desire or it might lead to unnecessary revisions that will delay the launch on they do deliver. When you employ a professional software development company, you must understand that the development process takes time.
The developer needs freedom to concentrate and creatively come up with a quality product. Failure to recognize this will only lead to unnecessary conflict. Deliver the essential resources such as company literature, desired structures, format suggestions, and more from the start, so that they have everything they need to work right away.
Allow the developer reasonable time to complete the work without questioning them on the timeline. Hurrying the company to meet an unrealistic deadline will only affect the quality of the work as the website may be delivered without testing, leading to serious errors or glitches once it is live.

5. Can you update the website content yourself?

This will ensure you will have access to update and edit the content of your website 24/7 on the fly. This is achieved by software which is called a Content Management System or CMS e.g WordPress, or Wix. Regardless of whether you intend to edit and upload the content of your website yourself or hire someone to do it for you, it’s important that your website is built on a content management system so that it is easy to make changes.
This is considered the best business practice in website development and has become commonly used these days. It is something important to consider because if your website isn’t on a CMS, it can create a lot of expense later on when you’re wanting to change or add content.
You will also want to make sure that the CMS is an industry-standard platform and you also want to make sure that it’s easy to use and that good training and support materials are available to you.

6. Will you get support when you need it?

Does the company that developed your website offer ongoing support? When you develop a website, it is very important that you choose a web design company that offers reliable, generous, and cost-effective support on an ongoing basis. This is incredibly important because a website has a lot of different functions and aspects to it, and it helps to have professional assistance available when you need it.
Things you might need help with:

• your domain name registration
• web hosting plan
• personalized email creation
• how to use the content management system of your website
• eCommerce setup
• security and backup

Without good quality support, you can find yourself in a predicament where you need to then outsource to an additional developer to fix the problem that you have encountered. This can lead to an extraordinary amount of frustration, wasted time, and additional expense on your part.

7. Are there any additional or hidden charges?

When receiving quotes for your website, in addition to getting a fixed project price, it’s important to be aware of any limitations, ongoing charges, and costs that may be related to the website.
For example, hosting and support fees. But you will also want to know about additional development costs or future design costs. It’s also important to establish the project scope and prices straight up.
Without correct management, a company can allow a project to go out of scope and budget, or get escalated due to unexpected challenges, and suddenly you’re in a situation where you’re 75% invested in the project and now it’s more expensive than what was originally quoted. This can also happen because you have realized midway that you require more functionality than was originally scoped and quoted.
Another thing to consider is the particular limitations of the service, for example, limited hosting space or design revisions. If the company is placing limits on these, you can guess that there’s a chance that you will be charged extra if you exceed these limits.

8. View their portfolio

It is important to review and see samples of the work that the web design company has produced in the past. This will give you a good reference point for what they can provide for you. It’s important in these cases to not only look at the quality of the design but also at the functionality of the websites.
Any good web design company should be able to show you the work that they have done. This will be a very good indication of the quality of service that you’ll receive from their company, and it’s a great place to start in terms of evaluating the company.
Along with this, it is also good to review any testimonials or case studies that the company may have from their clients. It is good peace of mind to know that their clients are actually happy with the service that they’ve provided.
The quality of the web developer you hire will determine the value of the product you get. We are always looking for experienced teams who have consistently produced functional website/e-commerce solutions for a variety of clients. You will get the most skilled, up-to-date, and experienced developers. Got some questions? Contact us right now! The Think DigiAds team is always ready to develop interesting business solutions.