Choosing the agency or person who will build your website is a very important decision. A good website can easily increase your profit by attracting users, while a bad one can drive potential clients away.
In this article I will try to explain how to choose a good web designer or developer for your project.
Types of web designers and developers on our market
I assume there is no official classification, but here is how I see things.
- Web designer - a person who deals more with the visual identity of your website. They will help you define the look of your site, the graphic details, the placement of text, the colors and so on. In most cases on our market these people know the basics of programming, so they are a good fit for building a technically simpler website that will look very nice. You should look at their previous work and judge the quality of their work by it. If they build dynamic websites (with a system for changing the content of the pages - a CMS), they usually do it with one of the well-known content management systems such as Joomla, WordPress and so on. This can be a double-edged sword, because a bad web designer will not know how to set it up to your requirements, while a good one will build you a quality website at a very good price.
- Web developer - a person who will turn all your technical wishes into reality (provided, of course, that they know their job well). If web design is not their strong side, they take an existing website and change it to your wishes. A good web developer should also know how to do quality website optimization for you. If you need a website that is at all complex, hire a web developer.
- Graphic designer - similar to a web designer, except more responsible for the presentation of your business (company, agency etc.) in general. Graphic designers are in charge of your logo, the colors of the website, banners, business cards and so on... You should hire a graphic designer if you intend to spend a little more money on your marketing. A good graphic designer will certainly pay off.
- Internet marketing consultant - a person who will help you most in areas such as choosing keywords, choosing a target market, ways of advertising and so on... In general, this is the person who will define your overall marketing strategy and try to attract as many potential clients as possible for you through your website.
Sometimes, if you are lucky, you will find all 4 people in one person.
Writing texts for websites
You will find web designers or developers who offer to write your texts for you. I would not recommend it unless the person is a professional internet marketing consultant. Writing texts is extremely important, because one of the things your site is ranked by in search engines is precisely its content. Either leave the writing to professionals or write the texts yourself - after all, who knows your business better than you?
Which web development agency is good, and how much do these services cost?
To begin with, decide whether you want to work with someone "face to face", that is, to go to meetings while the website is being built, or to make arrangements by phone, Skype and other channels. Below I list some things you should know when you hire a web development agency:
- Pay attention to how much they ask you about your business. Every real web development agency should get to know the work of your agency or company in as much detail as possible - how else will the website reflect your business on the internet?
- Look at their previous work: is the structure of every site the same, or are they flexible when it comes to design? An agency that is flexible about design is, of course, the better agency.
- Ask them whether they do both the design and the programming of websites, or only one or the other. If one company does one and another the other, miscommunication can occur and prolong the building of your website by a week, and sometimes even by a couple of months.
- Do they have a defined website planning process that will take you through all the phases to the final finished product, the website, or do they work some other way? If they have a structural plan for the website, it will make building the site much easier for both sides.
- Find out a little beforehand about internet marketing and search engine optimization, and then quiz them on how much they know about it. A beautifully designed website is useless if it does not bring profit.
- Ask the designer about the price, and for an estimate of how much the website will cost. If they answer that question without having got to know your business and without making at least a rough specification of your site, that person or agency is not the right choice for you. In all European countries, Serbia included, the price of a basic presentation website is around the average monthly salary. In Serbia that is about 300€, give or take 50€. The more technically demanding a website is, the more expensive it is. Agencies often charge high figures for their websites, but that mostly depends on their references, the volume of work and so on.
- Make sure that everything you agree on is written into a contract, because that way both sides will be satisfied in the end.
- Take care not to spend much more money than planned, because in most cases agencies will offer you extras for the website, such as exchange rates, a weather forecast and so on. You have to decide whether the price of an extra is worth it to you.
- A recommendation is still one of the best ways to find out whether an agency or person is good or not. If you have the contact of a previous client, call them and check whether the designer is good.
- Ask whether you or the agency will maintain the website later. A large number of agencies want to continue working with you and charge you for website maintenance. Modern websites have very simple systems for maintaining content (adding new pages, images, galleries, texts and so on). You can change all the content on a modern website yourself, so you do not have to pay the agency (unless you explicitly want to). Website maintenance costs can later be very high, and the website will not pay off.
- It is very important to ask whether the website becomes your property once it is built or remains the property of the company. Every real agency must transfer ownership of the website to you.
- Make sure the hosting and the domain are registered in your name. Never in the name of the agency.
- Finally, I think it is very important that you as a client enjoy working with the agency. Answer these questions honestly for yourself: Do I like the agency? Do I think they behave ethically? Am I comfortable when I talk to them? Do they meet their obligations on time? And so on...
Your website is a very important link in your business. By questioning web development agencies you are more likely to choose the right partner. Choose an agency that will take an interest in what you do, that is willing to listen to your requirements, that focuses on helping you make a bigger profit, and that will build you a quality website within your budget and deadline.
