| Web Design Firms Can Help Increase Your Website Traffic and Sales |
An effective Web site doesn't just look good; it generates leads and closes sales. Finding the right Web design company can save money while avoiding hours or weeks of frustration during a Web site launch or overhaul. According to online business experts, company decision- makers look at ten factors when determining if a prospective Web designer offers a true fit for a project
1. Effective Web Designers communicate well
When business leaders complain about Web page designers, they often put "communication" at the top of their lists. In many cases, young freelance Web page designers accustomed to text messages at midnight don't connect well with corporate clients that prefer phone calls at nine in the morning. Professional Web site design firms understand the importance of consistent communication in the mode the client prefers, including:
2. Web Design Budgets Should Focus on Results
Open-ended assignments cause clients of Web design and development firms the most grief. In a bad working relationship, clients can feel like their Web site design professionals run a taxi meter every time they want to make a change. Business experts advise against entering open-ended billing relationships with Web designers until the maintenance phase of a project. Some of today's most effective Web design teams blend the traditional method of charging by the hour with flat fees for software installation. Compare web design prices from leading web design companies.
3. Smart Web Designers and Developers Make Billing Easy
Asking for twenty to fifty percent of a project's fees up front is a common practice among Web designers. In fact, few experienced Web designers will start a project for a new client without some kind of retainer. To accommodate businesses of all sizes, effective Web design firms accept major credit cards. Novice Web page designers often reveal their status by demanding an entire project fee up front, offering to start work without a deposit, or refusing to accept a company's purchasing card.
4. A Web Design Company Shares Its Work
Like other creative professionals, Web designers maintain current portfolios representing their best work. Savvy company leaders can request contact information for clients included in a Web design portfolio. Experienced Web designers take their portfolios even further by including testimonials from satisfied clients. Comparing designs along with the measurable results they achieved can show prospective clients that a Web design firm really means business.
5. Flexibile Web Designers Use Time Saving Technology
The very best Web design teams include specialists who can address a project's software needs as well as its design aesthetic. Open source publishing and e-commerce tools can help many business customers achieve a professional result without spending money on expensive, custom solutions. Some of the most popular and effective open source Web technologies include:
6. Efficient Web Design Professionals Blend Stock and Scratch sources
Even Web designers grow tired of reinventing the wheel with every new project. Some teams speed projects along with stock templates and images. At the other end of the spectrum, the most experienced Web design teams craft each Website from scratch. Companies like DreamCoDesign specialize in finding the right spot on this spectrum for a prospective client by customizing a stock template or publishing platform.
7. Comprehensive Web Professionals Distinguish Design and Hosting
Many design firms offer complementary or low-cost hosting to clients, usually as part of annual maintenance packages. Business experts recommend weighing the options of using an in-house hosting solution against the expense of hiring an independent Web host. Companies like One Source Marketing Solutions, that maintain their own collection of always-on Web sites, can make stronger uptime assurances than freelance Web designers with vague affiliate agreements.
8. Creative Web Designers Let Clients Handle Minor Updates
Most Web site design projects can be classified into three major categories:
The most effective Web design professionals tend to save their skills for launches and major revisions. Experienced Web designers develop architectures for Web sites that more easily accommodate major revisions. These plans often include publishing platforms that allow clients to make their own minor updates in-house or with the help of a less expensive Web professional.
9. The Best Web Developers Understand Standards and Accessibility
Web standards can include adhering to best practices for interface design, such as making hyperlinks on a page easy to find. Web standards can also include a focus on keeping sites accessible to most Web browsers. Many businesses must also comply with state and federal guidelines for accessibility by site viewers with impaired vision and other medical conditions. However, many of the same accessibility features that keep customers happy also help sites improve their rankings with search engines. Skilled Web site designers understand how to prevent clients' sites from being unusable.
10. Good Web Design Companies Are Honest About Their Rates and Turnaround Time
Like other creative professionals, Web designers often adhere to the adage that suggests a client can always have two of three attributes from a list that reads, "good, fast, and cheap." Selecting a Web design firm solely on the basis of its hourly rate might not reveal the true value. A more expensive firm may have a smaller waiting list because it possesses the skills necessary to complete projects more quickly. Likewise, a patient client can find tremendous value in a Web designer with a longer turnaround time. Understanding the relationship between rates and project deadlines can prevent disaster during critical projects.
Streamlined Web Site Design Triples Business For Specialty Retailer
Sometimes, the right Web design can help an already successful business leverage its advantages even more. John and Kendra Fields launched their company from a spare bedroom. Specialty Optical Systems sells replacement light bulbs for microscopes, serving a market tailor-made for the Web. A basic Web site allowed them to attract customers who used to track down specialty bulbs by phone. Before long, the Fields' growing business enjoyed a customer conversion rate of just under one percent. Company leaders earmarked a budget of $10,000 to discover what an enhanced Web site design could do for their business.
Although other Web design companies would quote ten times as much for the same job, some leverage open source technology to overhaul the SOS online store. With many of the same features as more expensive e-commerce tools, the platform allowed SOS staff to completely control the customer experience. Meanwhile, robust search technology and enhanced navigation allowed more site visitors to find what they were looking for. Within six months, the conversion rate tripled and company leaders projected the Web site design project would pay for itself within a few quarters.
Focusing on Results sets Premier Web Design Professionals Apart
When companies choose Web design teams for important projects, gut reactions make all the difference. The best Web designers display all ten of these best practices on their own sites. More importantly, they make clients feel comfortable about wading into unfamiliar waters. Making the right match between client and Web designer can save a business thousands of dollars in creative fees on a typical project.
