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“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” — Steve Jobs
Did you know that an aesthetically pleasing website, heavily loaded with catchy colours and media may actually be the cause of your low lead count? Sounds ironic, eh?
Business owners these days take a lot of interest in how their websites look rather than how they function. A common sentiment is that a good-looking website would attract a lot of attention. Well, they say, “looks are deceiving” for a good reason.
If you’re planning to build a new website for your business or revamping the existing one, the first thing you should do is hire a professional website design agency to help you out.
But don’t just choose any random agency from the stack without due diligence. Here are the top 5 mistakes you should avoid while picking the right website design agency.
Mistake #1: “I know exactly what I want.”
This is the biggest challenge with most of us. We often think we know exactly what we want, but we actually don’t.
Before investing your hard-earned money into hiring a web design agency, no matter how experienced or reputed, be clear in your mind regarding what your actual requirement is—what is the intent of your website, who is your target audience, what are you trying to achieve through your website, etc.
Do some spade work yourself. See what your competitors have done with their websites. This will give you a clarity on what you want or don’t.
Mistake #2: “I want the cheapest-possible option.”
Cheap is tempting, but it can also be equally dangerous. True that there are plenty of low-priced DIY options such as WIX and Squarespace available, and it is very easy to build and design websites on these platforms. But are they the best options out there?
No matter what you do, you have to use one of their templates to design your website and millions of others are also doing the same. This means that there are negligible chances that your website is unique.
Hire a good web design agency that will understand your needs and objectives and design a customised website keeping in mind your end users.
Mistake #3: “Money doesn’t matter; I only want the best.”
Desiring the best for your business is not a crime, but ending up overspending in the quest for the best is.
You can always hire a 100+ agency with a big, lavish office and may be impressed by the quality of coffee and snacks they serve during your handshake meeting. But are all the bells and whistles really worth your bucks?
Instead, I would go for an agency with some 40+ team, humble office, and minimal jazz. I would like to pick an agency that speaks seriously about web design in a language I understand—no jargon. And guess what? They will have a lot lower overhead cost too, thus preventing me from overpaying.
Mistake #4: “I don’t have time for a handshake meeting; just start the work.”
You’ll be committing the gravest of sins if you refuse or somehow can’t make the time on your calendar to schedule the very first handshake meeting with your agency.
An elaborate handshake meeting is your chance to determine if the web design agency you’re about to hire understands your requirement perfectly and whether you agree with their working pattern and timelines.
In short, a handshake meeting will clarify whether the both of you will work in the long-run or not. So, take it from a person who has been there, done that. DO NOT miss the very first meeting with your web design agency, come what may!
Mistake #5: “What fancy words they use! I’m sure they are the best.”
Yes. Do not get carried away by jargon. While it may not always be a deception, it is wise to not be impressed by things you don’t understand quite well.
Keep in mind that the job of any web design agency is to hold a clear line of communication with its clients. If they are using language that is too technical and complex or presenting a very rosy picture before you, take a deep breath and rethink.
If you don’t understand what they are saying, tell them to explain in simple language. Believe me, it is easily possible. And if they still don’t, reconsider your decision!
Hiring a reputed web design agency is easy, but hiring the right one is tricky. So, while you do so for your business, make sure you know exactly what you’re looking for and how you want to get it done.
IKF is a web design and development company in Pune that can help you build great-looking websites with your end users in mind. With 20+ years of experience, we have been creating tailor-made websites for our clients, decked up with impressive looks.
Ashish Dalia is the CEO & Chief Digital Marketing Strategist at I Knowledge Factory Pvt. Ltd.
Ashish Dalia is the CEO & Chief Digital Marketing Strategist at I Knowledge Factory Pvt. Ltd.
