In the current digital age, virtually all businesses have established an online presence to increase their access to prospective clients. A well-designed website is the first point of contact for almost all potential clients. In a way, it serves as your 24-hour online storefront — and the primary form of advertisement for your business.
As such, you should ensure that your prospective clients and visitors get a good brand experience. This can only come to fruition if you hire the best custom web developer. Here are some key insights to help you partner with a custom web solutions provider.
Portfolio
A custom web development company with a rich portfolio of projects will likely be a well-established and experienced service provider. Always go for service providers with an impressive portfolio that the business is proud of. This allows the business to showcase their strengths and better exemplify the wealth of their experience.
Analyzing their portfolio can also give you an idea of the services you can expect to receive. If you like the past work of a custom web development company, odds are, you’ll like what they have to offer your business. However, it’s vital that a company is willing to work with your specific needs to give you a unique, customer service-oriented experience.
Expertise
An ideal web developer should have a mix of skills or expertise that matches your needs. After all, web design requires various skill sets, which include web development and design. However, a truly innovative web developer will offer search engine marketing and optimization, content development, programming, and coding among others. When it comes to crafting a truly unique website, you want to rely on the best custom web development company in the game.
Copywriting Skills
A custom web developer may design a site that is easy to navigate, appealing to your audience, and easy to maintain. But if the site lacks engaging content, then it is less likely to hook your visitors and lead to conversions. Ideally, a good agency should not only invest in web designers but also in good copywriters. The design of a website may attract visitors, but it’s the content that will sell your business and make you an expert resource in your field.
Social Media Expertise
Social media platforms support internet marketing significantly. In fact, surveys indicate that 40% of customers prefer to shop with companies that engage with them on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Better yet, social media platforms are important in interacting with your clients and generating organic traffic to your site and SEO content through linked ads and posts. Your custom web design firm should be able to teach you about social media marketing and maintain a social site of their own. Always trust a service provider with a social media presence and plenty of experience in this field to help your business flourish.
SEO and SEM
Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) are online marketing strategies linked to a business’s positioning on the search engine result pages (SERPs). SEO seeks to generate organic content that promotes the level of your content to the first positions on SERPs. On the other hand, SEM promotes your content by positioning it before organic search results on the SERPs. You should go for a designer that understands both SEO and SEM digital marketing strategies to help increase the visibility of your business on Google.
Payment and Fees
Some web designers require partial or full upfront payment, whereas others accept staggered payments. The ultimate step that you should take is to compare the prices and payment structures of a business versus the services that they provide. Compare these prices between agencies to find the best value for your company.
Testimonials and Reviews
Reviews and testimonies on online platforms such as Glassdoor, Facebook, and Google can give you great insight into the qualifications of a custom web development company. Better yet, these reviews will tell you if the customers have had a good experience in the first place. Even if a qualified company delivers results, a poor customer service experience can make or break the relationship. It’s important to check for such reviews and go for the custom web design firm with the highest positive reviews.
Maintenance and Support
Custom web design and development does not end after your website is up and running. In the future, you may need content changes and editing as well as hosting, maintenance, and review management services. As such, you should choose a custom web development company that won’t hesitate to help you with the maintenance and management of your website.
With the high number of web design companies available today, it is good to do your homework appropriately. When you want to pick the best service provider around, rely on Studio98 today.