Tips for selecting a web agency

If you are landing here, you may be in the market for someone to develop a website for you. Maybe you’re launching a new book, starting a new business, or just want to write a blog. Those are great reasons to have a website! But, how do you know how to choose someone to set you up? How do you know if you’ve found a quality designer? There are developers on all ends of the spectrum. You have young and old, new and been around, freelancers and agencies. What’s the best option?  I have a few tips for narrowing down the field.

1. Check out their portfolio. Take some time and look at the work they’ve done. This should be readily available on their website. If you can’t see examples of their work, then run away. Run away fast! I often get asked if we’ll provide sample designs prior to being hired, and the answer to this is no. We don’t do work before we have a contract signed, but the best way to know if an agency is going to give you something you like is if you like their previous work. So check out the portfolio.
2. Read their proposal. Do they spell out exactly what they recommend, what they will do for you and what you should expect throughout the process? All that information and all your questions should be answered in that proposal. It should make you feel confident that they will follow through and finish everything they promised. Did they just send you a cost in an email without a thorough proposal? Think twice before hiring them.
3. Ask for references/read testimonials. We proudly display testimonials on our site from our clients. In fact, we have a whole page full of them! Many of them with links to websites we’ve made. We even put photos of our clients so you can really see the person who is givng us that testimonial. Met someone who doesn’t have any names to give you? No testimonials? Ask yourself why they don’t have those?

Hiring someone to work for you that you’ve never met, and likely will never meet, who may live far away, can be scary. But if you do your research, you can feel confident moving forward.