How to hire a web development company?

When hiring an agency for a website redesign project, it's crucial to ask the right questions to ensure they understand your needs and can deliver on their promises. Here are six essential questions to ask, along with explanations for why they are important:

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1. The goals for our website project are [specific goals]. Can you walk us through a website redesign where you helped the client accomplish similar goals?

Why: This is the most important question to ask. It ensures that the agency has experience in achieving goals similar to yours. Of course, you'll first need to have a few SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goals outlined. Understanding how the agency has tackled similar projects gives you insight into their process, problem-solving abilities, and potential to meet your expectations.

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2. What will you need from OUR team to complete this project successfully, and when will you need it?

Why: Website redesigns are collaborative projects. Both teams have to come to the table with specific items at specific times to complete the project on time. Misalignment on these expectations is a common cause for missing milestones. Clarifying these needs upfront helps ensure both teams are aligned and can work efficiently together.

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3. How do you deal with situations where a client's team can't come to a consensus while providing feedback?

Why: The more stakeholders on your side, the more likely it is that disagreements will arise. Many agencies have strong creative or technical abilities, but an enterprise website redesign involves multiple stakeholders. This requires the soft skills to navigate different personalities and opinions toward a common goal. The agency’s ability to handle such situations can significantly impact the project's success.

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4. Who will be assigned to our project? What is each team member's relevant experience?

Why: Many agencies like to showcase their "A" team when pitching you but may staff projects with inexperienced junior people to keep costs lower. By the time you realize you got a bait-and-switch, you’ve already paid a deposit and wasted weeks of time. Knowing the team members and their experience ensures that you have the right expertise working on your project.

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5. Can you show us what the website backend will look like and what editing capabilities we'll have?

Why: There's nothing more frustrating than logging into your new website to build a landing page for a new campaign and finding out you're stuck with a few rigid templates. You should have the flexibility you and your marketing team will need with modular sections and useful variants. Understanding the backend capabilities upfront prevents future frustrations and ensures the site meets your functional needs.

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6. What will you do to help our new website rank well for 'high-intent' (BOFU) keywords AND convert that organic traffic into 'high-quality' leads?

Why: Most web agencies will reassure you that "they will do SEO." However, we've audited dozens of websites where the only "SEO work" done was installing a plugin and putting some 301 redirects in place. This is NOT a strategy and will not help with your lead generation goals. Any agency that can actually help with this goal should be able to show how they'll develop the keyword and content strategy and how those strategies will inform the sitemap, user experience, and website content. This ensures your SEO goals are integrated into the overall project strategy effectively.

By asking these questions, you can gauge the agency's ability to deliver on your specific needs, their collaborative approach, and their commitment to providing a high-quality, functional, and SEO-optimized website.

Testimonial Summary: Ximkart for Everything Design

Ximkart approached Everything Design with a clear need for branding and effective communication of their message. They recognized the importance of a strong branding strategy early on but were uncertain about the right time to engage with a branding agency. Once their direction became clear, they sought to streamline their communication to ensure their target audience could easily understand their brand’s essence.

The collaboration began with an extensive effort to understand Ximkart’s vision. Despite initial uncertainties about whether the design team could grasp their unique requirements, Ximkart found confidence in the team's ability to translate their needs into a cohesive branding strategy. The design team's thorough understanding and detailed approach, even in unfamiliar domains, stood out.

A significant milestone was the logo creation process, where Everything Design provided multiple well-thought-out options and effectively guided Ximkart through the decision-making process. This collaborative effort resulted in a logo and theme that met Ximkart’s expectations. The detailed and thoughtful approach extended to the entire branding and website development process, ensuring the messaging was clear, concise, and resonant with their diverse audience, including manufacturers who may not be tech-savvy.

Overall, Ximkart appreciated the seamless project management, consistent involvement, and accountability demonstrated by Everything Design. The branding exercise significantly enhanced Ximkart's ability to communicate with various stakeholders, making interactions with clients, investors, and other parties more effective. Ximkart values the partnership with Everything Design and sees them as a reliable collaborator for future design needs, recognizing their dedication to understanding and delivering on complex requirements.