An online presence in today’s increasingly tech-dependent world is indispensable for any successful business.
If you’re an entrepreneur or looking to get your startup up and running, setting up a website to support and fuel your operations should be at the top of your to-do list.
But thinking about where and how to start can be a handful, especially when you lack the technical know-how and in-house resources. That’s why a lot of business owners look towards outsourcing their web design to save time and allocate more on growing their business.
READ: 5 Benefits of Hiring a Reputable Web Design Agency for Your Biz
Now, as you start finding a web design agency, keep in mind that you shouldn’t take it lightly. Choose one that offers the best package that fits your digital needs.
To help you, make sure you tick off these seven important criteria when evaluating a web design proposal.
Web Design Proposal: The 7 Most Important Factors to Consider
Scale of operations and portfolio
Top web design agencies boast immense reputations and expertise but tend to be more expensive than the rest.
If their prices are out of your budget, you may consider agencies with a smaller scale of operations that would allow them to give your business more personalised attention.
Before choosing an agency, view its portfolio to gauge the quality of work and experience on offer. Moreover, read client testimonials and reviews.
Design and functional capabilities
You likely have an idea or notion of how you want your website to look and work. Ensure that the web design agency you pick has the skill and experience to pull off the style and design you’re going for.
It’s also ideal to look for a whole web design package that includes initial building, maintenance, a dedicated coordinator, and digital marketing plugins.
Such packages are convenient and allow you to enjoy an all-in-one service that ensures your website’s functioning smoothly.
Scope for cooperation and partnership
Choosing a web design agency is effectively choosing a partner who’ll help you grow and build your business.
Building a website could be a “make or break” process. That’s why you must get agencies that are looking to build a lasting, professional relationship with your business on top of your list.
A proposal must fulfil all your business requirements and must display a willingness on the agency’s part to learn more about your business and help you grow.
Clear project roadmap
The proposal must provide a detailed project roadmap that contains every step of the web design process. It must also include the deliverables, timelines, payment structure, review and feedback process, provision for progress tracking, and so on.
A web design project often takes several months to complete. A roadmap will allow both the agency and the business to keep track of progress and make sure that everybody is on the same page.
Time requirements
One of the most important factors to consider in a web design proposal is the timeline. It shows how much time each stage of the workflow takes. Therefore, giving you a clear picture of when you can expect to receive the initial design and when to give your feedback for revisions.
Not having a website limits your business capabilities, and prolonged web design projects could hamper your financials.
Therefore, the timeline stated in the proposal should match your time expectations while allotting sufficient time to satisfactory project completion.
Options for maintenance and upgrades in the future
Web design is not a one-off project.
Your website will require periodic testing and maintenance to ensure it’s up and running all the time and that it’s always accessible to your customers.
Apart from maintenance, as your business grows, you may also need to make significant upgrades when you build a website in Australia. Make sure that the web design proposal allows you to request and make these changes in the future.
Plans and pricing
Web design is a highly customisable and flexible process, and the options present in the market vary vastly in terms of pricing and affordability.
These prices also depend on the functionalities and services that each package offers.
That’s why it’s important to ascertain what services you require and how much are you willing to spend on a web design project. Identify the amount of recurring expenditure you are willing to take on for periodic website maintenance.
It’s recommended that you conduct preliminary market research on pricing practices and offers for this step.
Choose the Best Web Design Agency
Web design is a rapidly growing industry with more and more players entering the market every day. Therefore, it can be overwhelming to pick a web design agency.
You must keep it on top of your requirements to look for a partner that possesses the requisite experience and ability to execute a web design project with utmost efficiency.
CrazyDomains, for example, offers several affordable and highly customisable web design plans that you can choose from.
In addition, by keeping the seven aforementioned factors in mind, you can be sure that your partnership with any web design agency of your choice will be fruitful.
