Now more than ever, business owners and marketing executives have numerous choices when it comes to getting a new website. There are big advertising agencies, boutique web design firms, freelance creative professionals, and even online web template services.
Each of these has its own advantages and disadvantages, of course, but the question facing many of our potential clients really comes down to this: how do you find real value in web design?
Because we know that can be difficult when you’re on the outside of the industry looking in, here are a few tips we would advise you to keep in mind…
Don’t Confuse Price With Value
There are a number of free and very low-cost options for web design. So, if you are looking solely on the basis of price, any of these would make for your best choice. After all, who doesn’t love to save a little bit of money?
However, the websites that are generated from these types of services tend to be generic, inflexible, and loaded down with extra bits of code. So, while you won’t pay a lot for them upfront, they could severely limit your ability to attract new customers later. It goes without saying that such an approach isn’t going to help you take your business to the next level, online or off.
Work With Someone You Trust
Business people tend to assume that choosing a web designer is all about finding the best creative thinker to work with. There is some truth in that, and that your new website should be beautiful.
However, it’s also true that most business websites end up with a fairly standard layout. After all, that’s what buyers have come to know and expect. So, in addition to looking at different portfolio elements, pay attention to that gut instinct that tells you whether you can or can’t trust a specific person. Better yet, check their case studies and testimonials to see if they seem like the kind of person or team you’ll be happy you did business with later.
Have a Long Term Plan
Getting a new website isn’t just about the website – it’s also about the ongoing Internet marketing plan that comes with it. All your well-design pages are useless without search engine optimization, social media, pay-per-click advertising, and email marketing that brings new visitors to your pages and turns them into customers.
For that reason, you should have a long-term plan for your website that includes a strategy for helping your business to grow. If you work with a web designer who doesn’t provide that, then you’re setting yourself up for failure later, no matter how stunning their layouts are or how low the initial investment might be.
In the end, the value you get from working with a particular web designer is all about the real-world gains your business can make in return. Keep that in mind, and choose a creative partner who can help you take the best things about your business and share them with the world.