ImageWorksBlog

Each month when we bring in new clients, there are a few who are bound to have been mistreated by a web designer in the past.

Cleaning up or fixing another developer's mistakes is one of the least exciting parts of the job; however, we relish the opportunity to dispel any notions of distrust and prove our worth to new clients.

Check out a few telltale signs that will help you to spot a bad web design company before you end up under contract with a website you hate.

Your website is arguably one of the most important marketing tools your business has. Because so many people shop and conduct research about their purchases online, it’s imperative to have a quality website that represents your business well. A quality modern-looking website will represent your business as a leader in your industry and someone who stays on top of the current trends. For this reason, it’s essential to work with a good web design company that can create your ideal website with both your needs and the latest web design trends in mind. We’ve compiled a list of tips to help you find the right web design company to build or redesign your business’s website. 

Check Out Their Portfolio

When choosing a web design company, one of the most important steps to take is to view their portfolio. The company you choose should be able to produce an extensive portfolio with multiple successful projects. Not only will a portfolio help verify the abilities and reputation of the web design company, but it will also give you a sense of the styles and applications the company has created for previous clients. If you like the look of most of the websites in the portfolio, there’s a good chance that the company will be able to create a website you’re happy with.

Meet the Designers

When considering a web design company, it’s a good idea to have a sit down with the people who will be designing the site. It’s important to know the people you’ll be working with and to verify that the company does not outsource your work. You will also be able to get a sense of whether the designers will be responsive to your ideas and requests and if you will work well together. Meeting the designers who will be responsible for your website can help you get a sense of the process of building your site and give you confidence in the people you’re trusting with your website.

Ask About Their Process

When choosing a web design company, you should potential companies about their design process. It’s important to know how quickly they will respond to your requests and questions and how often you’ll have contact with them. Do they conduct one meeting and do the rest over the phone? Is the entire process email? Do they ask for weekly in-person meetings? In addition to verifying that the meeting process will work for you, you should find out how long everything will take. How quickly does it take to make changes? How long should the entire project take? Finding out this information will help you choose a web design company that can meet your expectations.

Inquire About Pricing

Although it shouldn’t be the first question you ask, it’s important to know the costs of building a website when selecting a web design. You should choose a company that has reasonable pricing, but does not have costs so low that they are too good to be true. Find out what they charge for and which costs are included. Will the company charge you every time they make a change? Will they charge you additional fees to start your website from scratch? Knowing these costs will help you avoid surprises later and make sure you’re getting the best deal. You should also find out when your payment is due. Many web design companies will charge half the price up front, and ask for the other half when the project is complete. However, others might require the entire cost of front. Knowing these expectations will help you make an informed decision about the right web design company for you.

Ask for References

In addition to looking at a portfolio for a potential web design partner, you should also ask for references. While a portfolio will give you a good sense of the company’s final product, references will help give you insight into the process. If a company has a beautiful portfolio but cannot produce references, there is a chance that they are a difficult company to work with, despite their positive results. It’s important to hire a web design company that can produce a great website and make the process easy for you, so consider asking for references before choosing a company.

Ask If They Offer Training for Clients

Once your website is finished, you’ll want to be able to navigate the editing tools and be able to make small changes yourself. For this reason, it’s important to choose a web design company that ensures you’re capable of making small changes. A quality web design company will offer training on navigating the tools of your website and will be happy to answer any questions you have. Without proper training, you might have to call your web design company to make even a small change, which will be a huge hassle for everyone involved. To avoid this issue, make sure your potential web design partner offers training on navigating your new website.

There are so many web design companies out there these days, leaving many businesses in need of a new website wondering how to choose the right company for the job. It’s important to choose a successful company that’s up to the task, but success in terms of sales doesn’t always mean the company is reputable and reliable. As many businesses who have been burned by web design companies in the past know, a good sales pitch does not equal a quality product. To find the most reputable and reliable web design company for your new website, ask the following questions.

While many website design trends are temporary affairs of the heart, a select few are natural evolutions  of the industry. As more web-accessible devices are introduced to the market, designers must continue to adapt their workflow to meet the dynamic changes that are occuring in web design.Over the past few years, the general appearance of websites has changed quite a bit for developers and designers.It's hard to determine which trends are rooted in serious potential for helping your business convert site users into leads. Fortunately, we have help.

Luckily for  brands and people like ourselves, the team over at Coastal Creative did some excellent research into the emerging trends for 2018 and provided an easy-to-digest infographic breakdown.

Your web design, more than ever, is a key element for success. It's difficult to attract and retain prospective customers when your main source of information looks outdated or doesn't properly represent your brand. However, businesses are not always experts when it comes to website design and therefore may cling onto outdated web design trends. Unfortunately, businesses can't get away with the "retro" look as customers are becoming exceedingly tech savvy everyday. As a business, you need to stay ahead of the game and abandon the old web design trends that ultimately loses customers and sends the wrong message to new prospective customers. 

Do you feel like your website is not generating traffic like it used to? You've tried creating more content, adding new keywords and posting more on social media sites. Your traffic can be low for several reasons but the first step you may need to take, can be you need to simply redesign your website. This article discusses signs that it might be time to redesign your website to better appeal to larger audiences and convert more leads. 

Slow Loading Times 

According to KISSmetrics, 47% of consumers expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less, and 40% of people will abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load. This may not seem like a lot of time but an average website should be able to load within a second. Websites are constantly and quickly evolving so it's important to research new trends to keep your website up-to-date and and your design appealing and attractive. Your website needs to function quickly or people will feel like you may be an outdated source and move on to someone else. New and improved sites show a certain level of credibility so right off the bat, you seem like someone they can trust. If your website seems to be loading too slowly, there are several issues that could be taking too much space and it may mean it's time for a redesign.