The people you will choose to work with are really important. Not all professionals and companies are equal; not all vendors are the same. When considering using a new agency on your new company website, let me provide the following 5 tips for successful recruitment.
Get 3-4 Website Estimates
Your first call was very good. You like his tone, and their portfolio is excellent. It is tempting to move too fast, and only choose agents after talking to 1 or 2 companies. There are several benefits to avoiding shopping around and getting 3-4 reliable suggestions.
Response Time
One benefit of getting multiple bids is that you can understand how long it will take for the agency to respond to you after the initial query and throughout the sales process. Pay attention to who seems to be most interested and involved in your project. Good agents know who they want to work with, so a quick response may be a good signal for matching.
Price
I made some real estate investments, and getting multiple estimates can save a lot of money. I once had a rude plumber offer me a quotation to replace the drainpipe cost was too high. After being slightly interrupted by his marketing skills, I remembered the principle of obtaining multiple estimates. I trained myself and waited for two full bids. In the end, I got a more reputable company for half the price. I’m sure that the first salesman is trying to pull a quick one on me.
Price is not everything; a good website is expensive. However, with multiple bids, you can benchmark proposals against each other. At least, you can know whether an agent is trying to deceive you at an unrealistic price.
Offer
When you talk to only one agent, it is easy to get a vision for your project. Conversely, talking to multiple companies will broaden your perspective on methods and other services that may not be considered.
Clarity
There is nothing worse than a proposal with a shocking price tag and few details. Reputable agents will not do this. They know that transparency can protect both parties. You’ll need to be able to see the contents clearly, and they need to grasp the handle to push back the creep of the oscilloscope.
When considering seeking a web design agency for your next website, please make sure that the proposal is detailed. Otherwise, you may run into trouble… Or worse, a failed project.
View the process of each company
When talking to a company: is the company organized? Are they using modern project tools, or do their systems look outdated? Does the way they do business seem to have been more carefully considered?
Whenever we buy a product, it is easy to focus on the sales experience and turn our attention to the “prospects” of viable products. But where are the goods? Try to understand how the agency works. A good company will have a mature process. Here are some questions you can ask web design companies:
- How will we determine what is included in the agreement?
- What is the overall process you will take us through? Important note: Don’t resolve with vague answers. Good agencies are really proud of their process and they will be able to clarify each step easily.
- How do you manage the entire project schedule?
- How will communication take place throughout the project?
- How to manage after the website is completed?
If they do everything, then run!
There is a saying in the design that if all content is bold, no content is bold. Many organizations will boast that they can do everything, but this is usually a sign of immaturity rather than maturity. In business, especially in agency work, it is important to know not only what you do but also what you do not do.
However, the problem with doing anything is that you will never actually build intellectual capital. If every project is different, how can you apply what you have learned to your future work? Here are some important considerations for choosing an agent for your next web project:
- Technology: Does the agency specialize in a particular platform (our agency specializes in custom WordPress development), or may the project and the technology it uses be experimental and risky?
- Vertical industry: Does the agency have specific markets (real estate or healthcare) specializing in? Relying on technology can enhance the company’s strength, and similarly, choosing certain markets will inevitably build expertise.
- Project type: Do agents understand the advantages of the type of project they are engaged in?
All in all, this is an important question to ask agents: “Which project do you not engage in?”.
Make Sure to Talk to References
It is easy to skip this. Who has the time or wants to spend 1-2 hours of reference consultation? But what if these calls can save you a lot of time and trouble? Any agent can brag, but what do their past customers say?
Try to find customers similar to yours in the agency business, and ask for specific conversations with them. Don’t just accept the reference materials they provide, but choose some detailed information to avoid the ad agency from picking only those customers who are satisfied with them.
You can ask the following other questions in the reference interview:
- What are the positive aspects of cooperation with XYZ agents?
- Can XYZ agents do better?
- Do you plan to continue working with them?
- Tell me about your challenges during the project and how the agents responded.
Be Patient in Selecting an Agency.
Yes, patience is a virtue. And, in this case, patience may be the difference between excellent websites or unfortunate mistakes. As I mentioned before, good sites usually cost money. If the agency does not pay their team well and charge a reasonable price, how can the agency hire top talent? You don’t want to choose an agent too quickly and regret it. After all, you may not have a budget for other projects for several years.
For most companies, their website is really important. It is best to adjust the previously retained schedule to ensure that you are working with the correct company. Finally, your patience will bring benefits, because you will get a better product… get three estimates, interact with candidates, do homework, yes, please be patient.
Conclusion
Well, I certainly hope that this article will build your confidence. For many of our customers, the agents they choose may have many contacts. If they choose a bad agency, it will have an impact on their superiors. If they find a first-class shop, the agent’s performance will reflect the prudent decision-making ability of the marketing director.
Use these principles when looking for a web design agency and you will gain an advantage in finding the perfect match.
Remeber that we are here to help. Drop us a line or give us a call now.