Selecting a web development agency that you can rely on for both creativity and professionalism is a challenging process.
Businesses have to count on their websites giving a positive perception of what they do and what they stand for. A website visit may be the first contact someone has with a company and first impressions can be critical.
Pricing it right
As with selecting most suppliers, throwing money at outsourcing a project does not guarantee a successful outcome. Investing a big budget with a web developer may get good results. On the other hand, you could just be paying for inflated designer egos and unnecessary technical gizmos.
However, going for the lowest possible price is usually a recipe for disaster. What seems like a cheap and cheerful option may turn out to be cheap but thoroughly cheerless and not give you the result you deserve.
The right agency for your project may cost a bit more but can give you value for money and make you savings in the long run. On the other hand, one that’s charging too little for the scope of the job is likely to lack commitment, and because of that may cut corners and make mistakes.
Research and assessment tips include:
- Study any reviews and testimonials that the web developer has received. Those that detail specifics of a project and how the developer achieved objectives are the most useful.
- Take a concentrated look at their own website and any websites they have designed for clients. Check for errors in content and links that don’t work.
- See whether the web designers have credited themselves on a client website. That should start alarm bells ringing! It is unprofessional except in exceptional cases (such as a special sponsorship agreement with a charity). Having the web designer’s name on the website does the client no good whatsoever. It will be perceived as if the client got a cut price deal in return for giving the web developer free advertising.
- Insisting on finished quality
At BBI Brandboost we have been asked a number of times to sort out problems that another web developer has caused to their client. Technical glitches may happen for understandable reasons. On the other hand, ridiculous grammatical and spelling errors are totally unacceptable and can be genuinely harm the prospects of a business.
For instance, we really feel sorry for this company (not a client of our agency). Most probably they are excellent at what they do, but their professionalism is immediately damaged by the home page of their website.
“Contact” is misspelt as is “competitive,” although the latter is spelt correctly elsewhere on the page.
When we move to the page on scaffolding services, the web visitor is assured that the company deals with “all aspests [sic] of domestic and commercial scaffolding.”
On the same page, we have two further spelling errors when it comes to the short section on Rates…
For “competative” read “competitive” and for “dependant” read “dependent” (although “depending” would actually read better).
At the bottom of each page we are told that a certain company was responsible for the “We design.” So we have a website designer that can’t spell “web” – oh crikey!
Matching people to projects
The web development field is flooded with start-ups and businesses that are pared down to the bone, possibly with only one person doing all the work. Many solo operators are committed, enthusiastic and skilled, but they frequently won’t have the time and resources to offer sufficient ongoing technical support.
If the web project is relatively simple then this may not be an issue. However, even the simplest projects can bring up unforeseen technical problems down the line. Of course, any web developer that allows the kind of content errors we have described to go through is a liability to any client!
As a professional web development and marketing agency, BBI Brandboost can call on an in-house team of web designers, programmers and technicians complemented by content strategists, marketers, copywriters and SEO specialists.
We pride ourselves on being:
- Small enough to maintain personal client relationships at a senior level
- Skilled and creative, marrying innovative concepts with practical solutions
- Experienced in handling the most complex web development projects successfully
- Committed to adding value and ensuring client expectations are met and exceeded
- Lean and efficient, so our quotations are realistically competitive – maybe not the cheapest rates going but we’re very conscientious and we don’t cut corners!
Contact BBI Brandboost on 01494 452600 or by email to find out more about our broad range of professional web development services.