Your website is the gateway to your brand. It’s how you introduce yourself to current customers and future prospects. It can be both an attractive brochure and a repository of incredible information. Websites provide resources and thought leadership, interact with customers, detail products and services, and prove the value of your organization.
Unless you’re my great aunt Fanny, you probably use the Internet to research products and services. It turns out that other people do too. Therefore, it’s imperative that you create a strong and intuitive online presence to engage and convert when people are looking for the products you offer.
If you are interested in developing a complete Digital Marketing Plan, you should work with an experienced web development agency. Website design and development is critically important, which is why engaging with an experienced web development partner is essential to a website’s success. But how do you find a web development company? To begin, it’s important to understand what a web development company does.
What does a web development company do?
If you are asking yourself how to get a good website development agency, you should understand what a software development agency does. In short, a web development company handles everything necessary for a successful website creation. While there is a lot that goes into creating a website, some agencies offer more than others. Therefore, you need to think about what is important to you in launching a website and decide whether you will use a full-service website development agency or a handful of resources to achieve your goal. Below are some of the areas in which a web development company can help you.
Helping to structure your site
If you have lots of information, then you will definitely want to ensure that the site is appropriately structured and intuitive for your visitors. A web development company will be able to help you build an information architecture to organize your content and structure your website in a way that best meets the needs of your users. This will also help you get an idea of the types of pages that should be built into your new website.
Designing and building your website
This one is probably obvious, but a web development company will be able to create a functional website for you. They will have the ability to guide you through the process of discovery, wireframes, and designs, and then turn those designs into a working website.
You may be considering using a free service to help you create a website. However, depending on the size of your organization and your needs, it’s usually best to hire an experienced web development company to help you. Do-it-yourself website builders are great for small projects, but they lack the scalability and customization needed for more advanced business features. A well-thought-out, customized website will be easy for visitors to navigate, simple for your editors to update, and attractive to users and search engines.
Provide hosting and maintenance
Just as you would take your car to the store for tune-ups, you will also need to update your website from time to time. A web development company can take on the burden of hosting and maintenance so you don’t have to focus on security and bug updates, monitoring website downtime/availability and troubleshooting.
A web development company can help you choose the right hosting options to ensure your site is running optimally and efficiently. They can also provide maintenance to identify broken links, report security vulnerabilities, and address content issues that can be resolved before they lower your search rankings.
SEO Management
A web development company can also help you ensure that your site is built on a solid foundation of SEO. SEO refers to search engine optimization, the process of optimizing your website to make it look attractive to the search engines. A solid SEO-focused website can help you improve your search rankings for specific terms and phrases, and put your website in front of the right users.
How to select a professional web development company ?
So what are the most important factors to take into account when choosing a web development company? If you’re asking yourself where to start, here are some key points to think about.
Which type of website do you need?
Much like other fields, there are many development companies that focus on a certain area. Choosing a web development company can be difficult, so first consider the type of website you need. Do you require a website that can handle e-commerce transactions? Are you seeking a Website that features case studies? Do you require a website that can display a strong content resource center? Are there specific integrations you need to consider with your new site?
Think about what you need on a website first to help you determine what you will need in a future partner.
What level of support do you need?
When choosing a web development company, you will also need to think about the level of support you will need before and after launch. Do you need a web development company that can simply set up the website? Or do you need a team to help maintain the website once it’s complete? Determining what you need will help set you up for success throughout the life of the project.
Compatibility
Choosing the right web development company can be a challenge, but you should think about your compatibility with a partner. If you and your web development company are not on the same page, you will have a hard time developing a website that meets your goals. Always sit down with the web development company ahead of time to make sure you’re on the same page regarding partnership, scope, and working methods.
Thinking about these factors ahead of time will help you in your search for the best web development company for your business needs.
What to ask when evaluating potential web development partners ?
As you search for the best web development company for your business, you should have a list of questions ready. That way, you can find out more about your options. Posing the right questions may help you select the correct web development company. Here are some key questions you should ask yourself when considering a web development partner:
How much do your services cost?
Of course, you will be interested in the cost of the website. However, there are many factors that will play a role in how much you will pay. For example, here are some questions you might ask a prospective partner:
Is it a fixed offer or a sliding scale?
How much do you charge per hour?
Does this hourly rate change depending on the resource used (design vs. web development)?
How will you bill us?
You should expect to pay an upfront fee for the website creation, as they will likely need an investment to get the project up and running.
You will also want to ask how they charge for ongoing support. Here are some questions you might ask:
Is it a monthly retainer or strictly time and materials for one-time requests?
Is there a required contract length?
What are the details of the support?
How much does ongoing hosting cost?
Be sure to ask your web development partner for a detailed cost breakdown of each service.
Do you have references I can talk to?
Anyone who is serious should have a list of references you can talk to. Contact a few references to see what their experience was like. If they all had a positive experience, you will probably get the same thing. That said, do your own research. Make sure what the references say matches what you’ve seen online in reviews and testimonials.
Do you have any work samples I can look at?
You should also ask for samples of previous web development projects. Check out these sample sites and see if you like their design. Also, find out if these companies have a large digital presence. Are the websites simple to navigate and easy to find? If so, you’re on the right track.
Do you have any work samples I can look at?
Also be sure to ask about relevant experience. Does the team have a lot of experience developing software or e-commerce sites? Can they develop a website with a strong mobile experience? You also need to ask if the team have any credentials or trainings to back up their experiences. You may also ask about the background of the team that is currently working on for your site.
What type of Web Hosting Service are you using?
Don’t forget to ask about web hosting. You need to have a solid hosting service for your website so that your traffic can keep up with the growth of your site. Keep asking about the hosting service, how much it costs, and whether it’s easier to switch to another subscription.
How important is web development for businesses?
Web development is valuable for your company because it helps to bring in more revenue. If you team up with a strong web development team, you can easily increase your online presence and boost user engagement on the site. This puts your website in front of your target audience and takes them on the path to conversion.
Because your customers use the internet to find the products and services they need, you need your website to introduce yourself to these people. Here are some ways web development can help you grow your business:
Creating an intuitive website with a strong SEO framework can increase the number of prospects who visit and interact with your brand.
Targeting the right terms and phrases can help you generate the right kind of traffic, which should increase your conversion rate.
A web development company can position your business as an authority in the field, helping you build a strong brand identity.
A web development partner can keep your website up to date with the latest UX best practices, making it as easy as possible for your visitors to find what you are looking for.
You can also work with a web development agency to make determinations regarding other parts of your business. For instance, you misght be interested in a content management system, or CMS, that can help you keep your information current. While you may be interested in one of the larger content management systems such as Magento, Drupal, WordPress or Joomla, other CMSs offer many of the same benefits at a lower cost and are more scalable. Umbraco is an example of one of the best and least known systems available and is the development platform of choice for JUBA WEB. Here are some of the reasons you might choose to go with wordpress :
There are no licensing fees to use wordpress
It uses an intuitive editing interface to make it easy to update your website.
It has an amazingly responsive UI that allows for easy navigation.
You can personalize the features according to your requirements.
It comes with a variety of plug-ins and tools that can help you with your digital marketing and SEO needs.
It will grow with your website as it develops.
Regardless of the platform, make sure you find a good web development company that will provide you with a CMS that meets your business needs.
Why JUBA WEB is the Right Web Development Agency for your Business ?
Although we definitely don’t claim to be the only great web developers, we have managed to build hundreds of successful websites and support our efforts. Some key reasons we would make a great business partner are:
transparency: We come across as being open, honestly and transparently in everything we are doing. We can tailor our efforts to meet with your needs, and you never have concerns about having to pay for anything that you do not need.
Scalable: We realize your needs may evolve over time. That’s the reason why we can always adjust our level of services as needed.
Experienced: We have a level of experience that is unmatched in the industry, and it translates into credentials, accreditations and referrals that we are happy to share with you.
Full Service: We aim to meet all your needs. We can assist you with Digital Marketing, Project Management, SEO, and more.
There is definitely a great deal to consider when choosing the right web development solutions. If you are seeking an expert partner to help you improve your online reputation and generate more traffic, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us to start a discussion.