How to Choose a Web Development Company
When you first begin the process of searching for a good web design company you should first be aware of a few things and know what to look for. Web design is a broad term and there are several types of web designers. Before you begin, do your homework.
You should be very familiar with all the features that your target client base will be expecting when they visit your site. Create a list of features to present to each web design company. This will help any web development team (or single web designer) with the initial layout of your new site. A solid and reputable web design team should be able to accomplish most, if not all of your requested features.
Now, you can hit the Internet and begin searching for your web design and development firm. There is a plethora of companies to choose from. As you search, begin noticing the companies own website and their portfolio of accomplished work.
Is their website easy to navigate? A huge percentage of web visitors are lost due to poor navigation practices.
Does their site use the appropriate number of graphic images to suit your taste or is it simply overdone? Images should be crisp clean and unique. They should help each page emphasize the target content with detracting from the important text.
Do all the sample websites in their portfolio look the same with the exception of a few color changes or image swaps? If so, they are likely simply using templates and have no real customization. While this may be okay for a small personal website, it can cost a small business a ton down the road when they wish to expand or add on a few features.
Do the website pages load quickly and is the content structured neatly for the visitor? Much of this depends on the web hosting [http://www.squidoo.com/Web-Hosting-Review-1] company, but, load speed is calculated in the algorithm used for many search engines. Additionally, slow page load times can really annoy your web visitors that you would like to convert into paying customers.
In conclusion, don't expect the web design firm to do all your work for you. They should ask several questions to help you determine your needs, but you can assist greatly by knowing what you need and listing required features ahead of time.
You should be very familiar with all the features that your target client base will be expecting when they visit your site. Create a list of features to present to each web design company. This will help any web development team (or single web designer) with the initial layout of your new site. A solid and reputable web design team should be able to accomplish most, if not all of your requested features.
Now, you can hit the Internet and begin searching for your web design and development firm. There is a plethora of companies to choose from. As you search, begin noticing the companies own website and their portfolio of accomplished work.
Is their website easy to navigate? A huge percentage of web visitors are lost due to poor navigation practices.
Does their site use the appropriate number of graphic images to suit your taste or is it simply overdone? Images should be crisp clean and unique. They should help each page emphasize the target content with detracting from the important text.
Do all the sample websites in their portfolio look the same with the exception of a few color changes or image swaps? If so, they are likely simply using templates and have no real customization. While this may be okay for a small personal website, it can cost a small business a ton down the road when they wish to expand or add on a few features.
Do the website pages load quickly and is the content structured neatly for the visitor? Much of this depends on the web hosting [http://www.squidoo.com/Web-Hosting-Review-1] company, but, load speed is calculated in the algorithm used for many search engines. Additionally, slow page load times can really annoy your web visitors that you would like to convert into paying customers.
In conclusion, don't expect the web design firm to do all your work for you. They should ask several questions to help you determine your needs, but you can assist greatly by knowing what you need and listing required features ahead of time.
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