Websites have become such an important part of the sales and marketing process for businesses of all sizes. To be effective, it takes more than just pretty pictures and a flashy design. That’s why finding a good website design company can be complicated. Mainly because the term “good” is such a hard word to define.

What Does Good Mean?

So what does ‘good’ mean to you? Answering this question is crucial to determining the best fit for your website needs. Understanding what you’re looking for – and what you’re not interested in – will help you better narrow down the companies you wish to work with.

After you’ve finished this article, you’ll better understand some key areas to consider to help you find, narrow, and select the best website company for your next project.

10 Tips To Help You Find A Good Website Design Company

1. Look at reviews

Google reviews matter. Replies to Google reviews matter too. Especially reviews that are not flattering. Google reviews can give you insight into the process a company follows and what kind of partner they’ll be for your needs.

2. How much of your time will be needed?

You should know upfront about how much time will be needed from you during the process, what will be expected of you, and how to best prepare to save time and be most efficient.

3. Evaluate the process

Systems are important. How clearly is the company’s process documented, and is it easy to understand? Is there an account manager dedicated to your project? How involved will you be in the process? What are the expectations and accountability for each party? Can you see what each step is going to be that may keep a project from moving forward?

4. Pricing transparency

Does the company talk about pricing on its website? Do they explain what reasons, situations, features, and functions can make a website more expensive? Even if it’s just ballpark pricing or ranges of average sites, can you understand how much the company typically charges for a website before you talk with them?

5. Who is responsible for content?

Without question, content is the biggest challenge for most website projects. Content can include words, photos, graphics, videos, and documents. When you are talking with a company, ask about the content piece of the project. What is their role, what do they offer, and what do they expect the client to provide?

6.WordPress hosting & support

How does the company handle hosting and ongoing technical support if this is a WordPress website? Who is responsible for maintaining updates to the software and plugins? Find out what the process is for adding additional users and plugins. Many companies restrict full admin access to WordPress websites, for good reasons. Discuss this in your evaluation call to see how the company monitors and updates WordPress sites.

7. Ongoing charges and fees

Beyond the cost of developing the website, what are the ongoing financial commitments? Is hosting billed monthly or annually? Is service billed as incurred, or is there a monthly service fee? If there are technical issues with the website in the future, who pays to correct them?

8. What happens when you break up

You never choose a company knowing you’ll leave them in the future, but it does happen. So ask up front what happens when the break-up takes place. Who owns the actual files of the website you’re paying for? You may be surprised to learn that some companies will charge you again for the rights to your website should you choose to leave them.

9. What questions do they ask

You’ll have a lot of questions, and you’re looking for answers. But what about the company you’re talking to? How curious are they? What kind of questions are they asking you? Are they trying to find out more about your business or just trying to sell you a product?

10. What does success look like?

When you pick a company and start the project, how will you define success? How are you going to measure what the new website is doing for your business? What metrics are in place to help you understand what your website is doing for your business?