The Top Things to Look for in a Reliable Website Design Service

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Diving into the top things to look for when hiring a reliable website design service to get the right look for your business or personal website.

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Across the internet, there are anywhere from 1.6 to 1.9 billion websites. So as you’re looking for a website design service, you want to make sure your site is going to stand out from the crowd.

If you have a boring, run-of-the-mill website, it’s going to get lost in the shuffle. Instead, you should aim to create a unique, useful, and well-designed site that clearly articulates your main points.

To do this, you should find an experienced web design company like transformationaloutsourcing.com to work with. Here are the top 6 things you should look for in a reliable web design partner.

1. They Have a Portfolio of Live Websites

Anytime you’re vetting a potential web design agency, it’s crucial that you review their previous work. While anyone can claim to have lots of experience, this will give you the best insight into the actual work they produce.

It will also help you to know if their design style and goals relate well to what you’re looking for. 

As you’re checking out portfolios, though, don’t just rely on screenshots. You should examine live websites.

This way, you’ll be able to verify that the files they sent you actually got built and that they function properly. Why does this matter? You’re not looking for just a well-designed site.

You also want a site that works perfectly. So by examining live websites that they’ve created in the past, you’ll be able to get the full picture of their expertise.

2. They Know Responsive Design

It’s no secret that people use their mobile devices to access the internet all the time. In fact, more than half of all internet traffic comes from smartphones and tablets. Because of this, it’s crucial that your website is designed with these users in mind.

As you’re looking for a design agency to work with, find a company with experience in responsive design. Websites that are responsive automatically resize to fit any screen size. 

This way, you don’t have to build different sites for all the different types of devices. Instead, you can have your agency build one site that works everywhere.

Ask them if they’ve built responsive sites before. If they have, great! If not, you should find someone who has.

3. They Design with the CMS in Mind

This is also an important point: find a company that will design with your CMS in mind. A CMS, or “content management system,” is the platform you’ll use to manage the content on your website in the future.

You’ve probably heard of WordPress. There are other programs out there like Drupal and Magneto as well.

Basically, when your designer builds your site for a specific CMS, you’ll be able to easily edit the content moving forward. Want to change the copy and hero image on your homepage? Easy.

Ready to add a blog with weekly posts? That’s simple as well.

If they don’t know how to do create a site built for a CMS, you should find a new company to work with.

4. They Keep Up with Design Trends

As a company, you have a logo. You probably have specific brand colors and fonts. And if you’re a larger business, you have a full-fledged style guide that outlines your brand’s visual identity.

But when it comes to designing your website, you’re looking for a company that is an expert in the field. And this means that they keep up with the latest trends in web design.

The last thing you want is a brand new site that looks like it was created in 2007. No thanks.

Instead, you want something that feels fresh and modern. No, your site doesn’t need to be super artsy and future-feeling, but it should feel new.

Flat design, parallax, and custom illustrations are just a few features that could make this happen.

5. They Have a Wide Range of Expertise

As you’re vetting companies for website design services, also look for a web design agency that has a wide range of expertise. Do they have experience with the following?

• Web design
• Web development
• Digital marketing
• Creating pages that rank for SEO
• Landing page design
• Blog design and content marketing knowledge
• App development

The more experience they have in these areas, the more qualified they’ll be to make a site that will have a large reach.

It’s also good to find a company that has designed for many different industries. That way, you can know that they’re adaptable.

6. Find out Who Will Be Working on Your Account

Next, it’s important to find out who will actually be working on your account. 

When working with agencies, it’s normal to meet with company executives and high-level managers during the sales process. As they’re trying to create a relationship with your business, this is a great thing. These people have a deep understanding of the company as a whole and can answer a wide range of questions.

But after you sign a contract for web design, who is actually going to be designing your site? Who will you work with day in and day out?

It’s a good idea to ask to meet your future account manager. This will be the person with who you’ll interact on a daily basis.

Also, ask to know more about the designers who will work on your site. As you do this, you’ll put yourself in a better, more knowledgeable position.

Looking for professional design help? Check out this service.

Website Design Service Next Steps

Now that you’ve read through these tips, it’s time to get serious about finding a website design service. Which of these tips are most important to your situation and what’s your budget?

Once you know these things, start meeting with potential partners. Soon, you’ll have a beautiful site.

Want to learn more? Check out our blog for additional tips.

You may also like: 5 Ways to Improve Your Current Business Website

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