ExampleFX

Choosing a Web Design Firm Can Be Challenging

When you go online to look for a company to design a new website for you, it's easy to get overwhelmed. You may not have realized that there were so many Internet marketing companies, digital marketing firms, or web design studios in your area! And this number only grows exponentially when you look outside of Harrisburg and Pennsylvania.

We understand that it can be enormously challenging to determine which web design agency you should choose as a partner. If you've never worked with a website design firm or marketing agency before, it's hard to know what to look for, what questions to ask, and what criteria you should use to narrow down your choices.

Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind while you're searching for the right web design firm to work with, and particular elements to look for as you evaluate each firm on your list.

What to Look For When Evaluating Website Design Firms

One of the most important things to look for when evaluating design agencies is their experience. Ideally, you will want to work with a company that not only has a wide range of web design experience, but also has specific experience designing for your industry or business type. So if you come across an agency that only designs ecommerce websites, but you are looking for a new B2B website, you may want to find one that has experience with B2B instead.

Something else to look for is the pricing packages and options each company offers. It's actually not uncommon to have trouble finding pricing on websites for web design studios or even larger full-service marketing companies. Many companies don't publish their pricing, or require you to call them before they'll link you to the right page. However, if you can locate agencies that make their pricing easily accessible, you'll be able to better determine whether or not they will work within your budget.

Another important thing to keep an eye out for is testimonials and reviews. If an agency's website doesn't have any customer testimonials or reviews, or you can't find any on other websites (like Yelp, Google, and so on), steer clear. You need to know that this business makes their customers happy and follows through on their promises. The reviews they receive and show online should absolutely reflect that.

Finally, don't hesitate to spend some time browsing each firm's website to look at their own design, as well as other elements like their copywriting, navigation, and graphics or photos. Do you like the way their website looks? Or does it seem out of date? Is it mobile-friendly? These elements can reflect the quality of the design you receive, so you may want to rule out any companies whose own website isn't up to par.

The Difference Between Design and Full-Service Firms

Something you'll likely notice while doing research is that there are website design firms that specialize only in website design and creation, as well as full-service agencies or marketing firms that offer a wide selection of services and packages. What's the difference?

Well, obviously, a web design firm won't be able to offer you much more than design. They may have a small staff or a limited amount of knowledge of things like SEO and inbound marketing. On the other hand, a full-service agency typically has a bigger staff, more resources, and a number of experts on their team. Full-service agencies typically also employ project managers who can help keep things running smoothly for you.

WebpageFX is one example of a full-service marketing firm. Although we specialize in website design for Harrisburg area businesses, we also have a team with expert knowledge of all things Internet marketing. So if you need more help marketing your company, or want custom development along with your new site design, we can offer that to you—and at a reduced cost compared to hiring multiple agencies.

Want to find out what a full-service website design agency is capable of? Contact us today for a no-obligation quote.