Tips for Vetting & Hiring a Good Florida Web Design Company

2021 is upon us and a new year often brings about the idea that it’s time for a fresh start. And given the emphasis that has been placed on virtual gatherings and digital spaces in 2020, that fresh start might mean a new web site for your business.

Diving into a website project might seem scary and overwhelming, especially if you’ve never worked on one before. Small businesses often attempt to use DIY website builders, such as Wix, but I’m writing this article today to let you know that a professional design agency is the way to go.

In this article, I’ll go into detail about why it’s best to work with a professional agency and how to vet and hire the right agency for your company.

Why Work with a Professional Web Design Firm

If you’re early on in the process of considering a new website, you’re likely weighing your options of using a DIY builder, a freelancer, or a professional web design firm.

Each of these avenues has its place. Wix and other DIY website builders can be great fits for startups who have a small budget. Outsourcing to a freelancer also can be beneficial, as long as you know who’s doing the work and trust their process.

But if you’re a medium to large sized business, I highly recommend recruiting a professional web design and development firm to create your new website.

Here are a few key reasons to work with a professional design firm:

• Customer Service – most web design companies have account managers. Account managers are the unsung heroes of creative agencies because they help translate what a client is looking to achieve. Vice versa, an account manager helps communicate, on laymen’s terms, the entire website process. If you attempt to work with a DIY website builder and/or freelancer, you will not receive the same level of customer service and support.
• Online Marketing – most web design firms also are digital marketing agencies (think Google Ads, social media ads, SEO, etc.). When you work with a professional web design firm, you can take your one-off project and turn it into a successful series of digital marketing campaigns.
• Partnership – like any professional service, a web design company will likely want to provide you with a long term partnership. Most of our clients have been with us for 5+ years, giving us an in and out understanding of their businesses and industries. This experience has proven to be invaluable when coming up with new digital marketing campaigns.

Now that you have a few reasons why you should work with a professional agency, here are a few tips for vetting and hiring the right company.

Finding the Right Florida Web Design Company

The problem with internet marketing and web design in general nowadays is that these agencies are a dime a dozen. In my nearly decade-long history at Atilus, I’ve seen several “agencies” come into the mix and then suddenly disappear.

So, to help you weed out the experienced professionals, here are a few questions to ask:

#1: How long have you been in business?

This is a basic question to find out just how long the company has been building websites. The time in business isn’t always a make or break indicator, but it is a good place to start to see if it’s a brand-new startup.

#2: Do you offer responsive design?

If you ask a website company this question and they respond with “no” or that they don’t know, I highly recommend you do NOT hire them. Responsive design is making sure that your website scales to any mobile device it is accessed on. In 2020, this is web design 101.

#3: What other marketing solutions and services do you offer?

Most web design companies likely also offer other marketing services, such as search engine optimization, pay-per-click ads, retargeting ads, and more. If a company does not offer this, it doesn’t mean they won’t be good at your web design. However, it may save you time and money to work with the same agency on both your website and digital marketing efforts after your new website is done.

#4: How many people are on your team?

This is kind of a tricky question because a lot of web development firms are small. As an example, we currently have 7 people on our team. Just because a team is small doesn’t mean they can get the job done. But if you are looking for a professional firm, use caution if someone answers that they’re a team of 1.

#5: What is your website design process like?

This is probably the most important question to ask. Simple graphic design projects are one thing, but a full-blown website design or redesign is a different beast. A web design process is important for an agency to have because it means they’ve worked on several websites and understand that there are issues to be smoothed out in order to make it as easy as possible for the client. No web design project is ever 100% perfect, but a process is important to help get there.

Ready to Talk? We’re a Florida Web Design Company Eager to Help

Atilus is a United States based web design company located in Fort Myers, Florida. We’ve been in business since 2005 and we’ve built hundreds of websites.

Our team has worked on websites and digital marketing campaigns for clients in varying industries. Form construction to IT to tourism, our process allows us to absorb information about your business and turn that into leads and sales.

We encourage you to learn more about our digital services. Click here to view all of our services. Call (239) 362-1271 to get a free consultation today.